The Life Of A Weasley
by LaTashaMalfoy
Summary: Follow the Weasley family through their ups and downs, from Bill all the way down to Ginny, up until they all go off to Hogwarts as Molly and Arthur pick out the perfect home for their children and introduce the flying muggle car. As Fred and George get their names, as Charlie gets his first girlfriend, as Ron develops his Arachnophobia, and many many more family memories.
1. Finding The Burrow

"It's beautiful." Molly exclaims, looking at the small house. She stared at it, no more than a one bedroom home but she knew it was all they could afford at the time. It was a cute little house, for being a little house. Having a small guard that led to the front door, only about the height of Molly's waist, and two little windows on either side of the door, the house looked like the windows and door were too big for it. There was an upstairs to it though, possibly an attic where they could make a room for little Bill. She tried to imagine seeing a yard full of children running around, causing her to scream out as one of them continuously misbehaved and couldn't, not with this small of a house. "But will it be big enough, we always swore we would have a big family."

"We can add on, make a room off to the side, and work our way up." Arthur answers, pointing to the back of the house. "See here," He says, pointing at a chimney, "We just make the chimney a little bit wider, turning into a stairwell. We will build up off of that, bring the upper floors off in front of the house." He finishes with a smile.

Molly looks at her husband, always the dreamer but never having the money or the time to work on the projects he thought up. Shaking her head, she pulls the baby closer to her, hoping Arthur realized what he was getting himself into this time.

"Surely we can get something a little bit bigger Arthur," She whispered, holding the baby close to her bosom. Her hair, short and red was already scattered and frayed from the time she had spent with her first son, making sure everything accommodated his needs as her mother had taught her to do when her and her brothers were younger.

"We can't afford anything bigger." Arthur reminded her, "This home alone costs all of our life savings. We couldn't get anything bigger if we tried." He felt bad telling her that but she knew it was true and they had to move out of her mother's house. They couldn't stay living there now that they had Bill and were starting their own family. Molly looked down and sighed, Arthur wanting to pull her close and comfort her as she did. "It's okay." He promised, "Everything will work out."

"And what do you think, my ickle Bill?" She asks looking at the bundle of joy in her hands. The baby had red waves of hair already forming, his hair wild and out of control. His brown eyes shined back at her as he cooed happily, a smile forming on his face. "Well," She answered, "If it's good enough for Bill, it's good enough for me." She said with a smile.

Fabian and Gideon, Molly's two twin brothers, quickly helped Arthur with moving their few belongings from Molly's parents house into the Burrow as her and Arthur decided to call it.

"It looks great." Fabian said with a smile as he moved in their mum's hand-me-down couch.

"Bloody brilliant." Gideon answered with a grin.

"How many kids are you planning on filling the house with Molly?" Fabian said as he put the couch down and walked over to his baby sister, wrapping his arm around her playfully. "Five?"

Gideon laughed as he stood on the other side of Molly, looking over her shoulder. "Ten?" He asked teasingly before they looked at each other, answering in unison as they so often did.

"Fifteen." They say, causing Molly to throw her hands up in the air.

"That's enough you too." Molly screamed, causing them to run off with a laugh as Arthur walked into the room. "A couple of childish boys, they are Arthur. I don't see how mum put up with them for so many years."

"I don't know," Arthur answers, smiling as the twins used their wands through the window sill to move an end table directly behind Molly's legs. He winked as they snickered, running off quickly. "But you know it runs in the family. One day, we will have a pair of boys just like them."

"OH! And the trouble they will get into!" Molly hollers, frustrated. "They will be your sons!" She says, Arthur now seeing why she was red-headed with her anger. Quickly she turned around to storm off, running directly into the end table that was perfectly placed behind her. "FABIAN! GIDEON!" She screamed out, huffing as she grabbed her wand, ready to finally fight back against her older brothers.

Arthur stood there smiling as he looked on with pride before looking down at the bassinet beside him at a oblivious baby Bill. "That is your mother." He whispered, "And just between you and me, I don't recommend you get on her bad side."

Hours later, after Fabian and Gideon left, their damage in the house being done for the day, Molly sits at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. Walking in cautiously, Arthur sees her there, Bill still laying in his bassinet beside her. Quickly, being the husband he knew he was supposed to be, Arthur wraps Molly up in his arms, holding her tight.

"They are your brothers." He whispers softly to her. "They always have been that way Molly, they mean no harm by it. They are just pranksters is all." He pats her wild hair down as he comforts her, hoping it is doing some good.

"It...It...It's not that." She sobs out into a hankie she had sitting on the table. "I...I kn...know they love me..." She sobs, "It...It's j...just the Burrow. It...It's...It's so big." Molly kept her head down as she sobbed into the hankie while Arthur pulled her close, putting her head on his shoulder.

"You were saying it was too small Molly." Arthur answers, patting her hair down as he felt her body shake with sobs. Molly had always been a strong woman, that was what had drawn him to her whenever they first started dating in Hogwarts. She was so headstrong and proud, never letting anyone drag her down to their level and it had caught Arthur's eye, knowing she was the perfect woman to keep even him in line. "What changed?"

"It...It's ju...just so quiet." She cried onto his shoulder. "It...It's so b..big and quiet. Wh...what are m..me and Bill going to d..do while you are at work?"

Arthur sat there for a moment, knowing he was in a tight predicament here. Arthur had been one of many children just as he had promised Molly they would have. After all, he had told her, it's not a Weasley family without six or seven of them running around aimlessly. And Molly, although it had just been her, Gideon, and Fabian growing up, the house was never dull with those two in it, always playing pranks or telling jokes. He remembered whenever Molly had come to school once, complaining that Fabian and Gideon had passed their apparation test, constantly apparating behind her and causing her to jump in fear. There had never been a dull moment in the Weasley or the Prewett households growing up.

"I promise Molly," He whispers to her, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "The house won't be empty long. We will fill it to the seams. Until it feels like we can fit no more kids in here, and then we will fill it up some more." He says, causing Molly to laugh through tear stained eyes. "It may not be perfect." He finishes, "But it is our house and we will fill it up with love. What do you say?"

Gently Molly nods, wiping her tears away.

"Perfect." Arthur answers, kissing her firmly on the lips. "Now, let's get started on dinner, shall we?"


	2. Charlie's Tumble

"Bill, that's enough." Molly exclaimed, her hair frazzled as she tried to use the muggle cookie cutter Arthur had brought home for her. "Just because he is crying doesn't mean he is dying." She said, brushing a random strand of hair out of her face with her arm.

"Baybay." The toddler says, pulling on the bassinet. His red hair was starting to grow out even more, being nearly down to his ears now but every time Molly attempted to cut it, the baby would scream and cry, his face turning red as he held his breath trying to pass out, as if that would punish her. By now, she had just given up. She had much more important things to be concerned with than if her two-year-old wanted to have long hair. It was a phase, she reminded herself, he will outgrow it.

"Bill, Charlie is fine." She repeated over the screaming of the two-week-old infant. She had been bed ridden before the birth of Charlie, leaving her with two weeks to prepare the house for Christmas and even now, she had a half-string of Christmas lights draped across their small living room filled now with stuffed animals and plastic balls of different shapes and sorts. As far as wrapping the presents, Molly still had to get started on that and Christmas morning was tomorrow

"Baybay." Bill repeats, trying to put a plastic Snitch in the bassinet. "Baybay Sitch."

"Bill! No!" Molly screams as she watches the bassinet fall over, the young infant tumbling onto the floor as she runs over, seconds too late. "Bill, go play!" She screams, grabbing the infant in her hands as she tries to rock him back to silence, holding him close. She watches as the toddler's bottom lip starts to quiver before he ran off, crying.

Sighing, Molly took the crying infant over to the table where she rocked him back and forth, listening to the crying of both of her young boys as Arthur walked in the door with a smile.

"How was your day?" He asks, oblivious to the screaming kids.

"How DOES it look like my day has been Arthur Weasley?" Molly shrieks, her voice hitting a pitch high enough that it could have broken glass. Normally, this was the part of Molly that Arthur had learned to fall in love with but not whenever he was the one facing her wrath. "I have done NOTHING all day but chase after your son while Charlie lay here crying his eyes out. I can't even figure out what is wrong with him half the time. Bill never cried like this, sometimes I think he cries just to cry and YOU still haven't gotten their bedroom done." She hollers at him, knowing she was taking her frustrations out on him now. "It has been nearly two years Arthur, TWO YEARS and we still don't have a room for them!"

Arthur looked through the kitchen at the stairwell he had started on, getting together pieces of scrap whenever he could with the help of their neighbors, the Diggory family and the Lovegoods. Sighing, he looked down at the floor, wishing he could provide more for the children. He gave Molly a second to calm down as she rocked Charlie back to sleep, shushing him and wiping the tears from his eyes. It took Arthur's breath away as he watched his still young wife comforting their son, the love she had for them incomparable to anything he had ever seen before.

"What happened?" Arthur asks whenever he felt like it was safe to, hollering over Bill's screaming voice as he looked from the fallen bassinet over to the now sleeping infant.

"He tried to help out again." Molly answered, pointing at the plastic Snitch on the floor. "I told him to stop and I got there too late this time." She whispers, looking down at the bassinet and pulling the baby closer. "Do you think he'll be alright?"

Arthur brushed the blanket aside, looking the newborn baby in the face. Tight red curls covered his hair, his hair much thicker than Bill's and closer to his head. He also had an abundance of freckles on his face, even at that young of an age, causing him to look much tanner than the rest of his family.

"I think he'll be fine." Arthur answers, kissing his wife on the forehead. "Nothing that we hadn't endured as children."

Molly nods as she watches Arthur stand up and walk into the living room towards the screaming toddler begging for attention.

"UGH!" He groans, picking up Bill and walking over to the couch. "Come here my boy." He says with a smile, causing the toddler to quieten down. "Now, tell Daddy what's wrong." He says, looking at the two-year-old as if he were a grown man having a conversation with him.

"Mum." Bill answers, sticking his thumb in his mouth as he points into the kitchen where Molly was re-situating the bassinet.

"Ah yes," Arthur answers, rubbing the boy's back. "Mum can be very scary but don't worry, daddy will handle her." He says, causing Bill to grin wide, exposing the few teeth that had already come through. "Now, you are to help Mum with Charlie but you have to be careful okay?"

"Otay!" Bill answered, shaking his head viciously up and down, his thumb staying prominent inside of his mouth.

"Charlie is still a baby. He is easy to break, okay." Arthur tells Bill, looking him in the eyes as if they were having a serious conversation as grown men.

"Otay!" Bill answers again, his face now serious too.

"Now," Arthur says, putting him down onto his feet and patting his butt, "Go apologize to Mum."

Quickly, the toddler ran into the kitchen, still somewhat awkward at running on his feet. A little while later, Molly returned to the living room, a sleeping Bill resting his head on her shoulder. "How did you do that?" She asked, looking at her husband in amazement.

Arthur shrugged with a smile. "Just have a magic touch." He answers, standing up. Kissing Molly on the cheek, he took Bill from her hands, leading her to the only bedroom their home had to offer, a small room, barely big enough for their bed, much less the crib, bassinet, and dresser that they also kept in the room.

"I'm sorry." He whispers, covering their eldest son up with a blanket in the crib. "I will get started on the boy's room tomorrow."

Molly nodded, looking down at their son. "I'm sorry too." She answered, "I never should have bitten your head off like that. I don't know what's gotten into me."

Arthur wrapped his arm around his wife, pulling her closer to him. "Look at him Molly," He whispered, "He is beautiful, they both are. And one of these days, I promise. You will have the big family that I promised you. We will have enough bedrooms, and the house will be so full of love, it will feel like it is bursting apart at the seams."

"Promise?" She asked looking up at Arthur, her eyes full of hope.

"I promise."


	3. Fabian and Gideon Join The Order

Molly watched through the kitchen window as her middle son, a mere four, ran back over to the pigpens, feeding their newest black piglet the leftovers of his lunch, a little blonde girl running behind quickly behind him with an apple. She had been watching them for the past week, the little Fawcett girl following her little Charlie around like a lost puppy as he fed the animals.

"Think he will invite her in this time?" She asked, looking behind her at Bill, who was starting on his basic arthritic that Molly had assigned him at the kitchen table. Shaking his head, Bill goes back to his math, knowing that his younger brother would probably never bring a girl home. He himself had watched Charlie play with the young blonde, oftentimes sending her home before coming inside to clean up for dinner. Bill had also seen that there were few words exchanged between the two children, Charlie never saying her name and her much too shy to talk to Bill herself, being Charlie's age as well.

"They don't talk mum." Bill answers, not taking his eyes off of the simple equations in front of him that Molly had told him it was time that he learn to prepare himself for Hogwarts. Bill greatly obliged, seeing as how he would have rather done his arithmetic that reading that blasted book, The Tales of Beedle The Bard.

2+2=4

1+5=7

6-2=4

"All she ever does is follow him." Bill continues, writing down the numbers. "He goes and feeds the pigs. She follows. He goes and feeds the chickens. She follows." He says, looking up momentarily to see the concerned look on his mother's face. The fact that he was so preoccupied with the animals to not even notice the blonde following him around worried her. Maybe he wouldn't be social like Bill was becoming, then what was she to do. She couldn't force it on him.

"Does he even know the little girl's name?" Molly asked Bill quietly, looking back out the window and seeing as the blonde tried to hold Charlie's hand, him quickly pulling away so that he could pet the piglet.

Bill shook his head again, returning to his numbers as Molly wondered where she was going wrong. Baby Percy, now nearly a year old and looking as much like a Weasley as two older brothers, never cried, being what most mothers would consider the ideal baby. Whenever his diaper was soiled or he was hungry, he would coo lightly, waiting patiently for Molly to change him and would return the favor with a toothless grin. So far, Bill was the only one who acted remotely like she remembered either her or her brothers acting as children, her more than her brothers, talking to her and willingly working on whatever work she assigned him whenever he wasn't busy playing and getting dirty. The other two boys both seemed quiet, nearly too quiet for her likings, making her wonder if she would ever have the house filled with laughter that she wanted.

"Charlie," She called out, opening the window to the back door next to the sink. "Come inside and clean up. Bring your friend in too. I will make you both some cookies."

She watched as the young boy started to blush, shaking his head viciously at his mum who had embarrassed him. Handing the girl a flower, he shooed her off on her way and pet the piglet one last time before returning into the house.

"What about your friend?" Molly asked, watching the little girl run off towards the Fawcett house. Charlie quickly shook his head no as he opened the door and went over to the sink to wash his hands. "Does she have a name?"

Charlie shook his head no again, pushing a chair up to the sink and standing on top of it. "She help with pigs." Charlie answered matter-of-factly, causing an ever graver look of concern on Molly's face.

"And you haven't asked her what her name is?" She asked again, hoping to get more of an answer out of the young boy.

"She like sickens." Charlie answered, pointing at the chicken coop through the window. Sighing in defeat, Molly looked down, wiping her hands on her apron as she heard a loud pop outside of the front door.

Quickly Molly ran up to the door, seeing her twin brothers standing out in the front yard.

"Well are you going to let us in?" Fabian laughed.

"Or are you going to stand there all day?" Gideon finished, looking at his sister.

With a smile, Molly let the two men in, hearing the laughter that she had been craving finally fill the house.

"What is your mum doing?" Gideon asked, leaning over one side of Bill's shoulder, looking at the arithmetic that he had started on.

"Filling his head with rubbish, no doubt." Fabian answered, pointing at one of the equations. "The answer is six." He whispered in Bill's ear.

"That is enough, you two." Molly barked, smacking them both over the back of the head. "How is he ever going to learn how to read and write if you two are constantly giving him the answers?!"

"It's not about reading." Fabian answers, looking at his twin brother.

"Or writing." Gideon says, smiling back at his equal.

"It's about magic." They both say with a laugh as fireworks erupted inside the kitchen, causing Bill and Charlie to laugh out with glee while the infant Percy in his high chair snarled his nose in disgust at the crazy magic being performed.

"That is quite enough out of you two." Molly barked again, thinking about what a great influence they would be playing on the boys if they were already showing them it was okay to do fireworks in the kitchen. "That is the last thing that I need, is these boys thinking they can light the house on fire at their beck and call because you two imbusals do it."

"And who is this one?" Fabian asks, moving over to the infant in the high chair. It had been nearly a year since they had come to see their sister, causing them to not have been their for the birth of their youngest nephew, who was now glaring at Fabian forcefully.

"A squib perhaps." Gideon answered, looking at the disgusted look on the young one's face.

"Maybe he has his mother's sense of fun." Fabian answers, eying the child as if it were an unknown mystical creature.

"That ONE" Molly answered, frustration in her voice, "Is your youngest nephew Percy and normally he is a very well-behaved little boy."

"Well behaved?" Gideon asks, as if his sister were talking in a foreign language.

"Where is the fun in that?" Fabian continues, looking at the boy.

"Is that all you two came over for?" Molly asked, ready for them to leave already. "To harass the boy?"

"No," Fabian answers honestly.

"We actually have a surprise for you." Gideon says happily.

"And we think you will be proud." They both say together, exchanging a smile between the two of them.

"And what would that be?" Molly asks, sitting down at the table, her head only inches below where the fireworks had been going off in her kitchen moments prior.

"We joined the Order." They say in unison, a matching smile on both of their faces.

"You what?" Molly asked, shock and fear overwhelming her. "Charlie! Bill! Up to your rooms!" She barked, causing both boys to look at her with shock. "Well you heard me. Scoot. Scoot." She said, rushing the boys out of the room and towards the stairwell to their upstairs bedrooms that Arthur had just recently built. "Go on, get."

"But mum," Bill says, looking at his twin uncles for support. "I want to hear about Uncle Fib and Gid's Order."

"But nothing Bill," Molly answers, pushing him along, "Go on, get upstairs." As soon as she saw the boys disappear upstairs, she sat back down across from her brothers, staring at them, and sighed. "What do you mean you joined the Order?" She asked.

"Well," Fabian starts off.

"You told us we needed to do something productive with ourselves." Gideon continues.

"So we though about it." Fabian says, as if deep in thought.

"And you were right." Gideon pipes in.

"So we joined the Order." They both say again in unison.

"I meant go and get jobs." Molly replies, looking at her brothers. They weren't exactly the most careful of men, oftentimes getting themselves into more trouble with their pranks and jokes than they could handle. "Not join the Order. You are going to get yourselves killed."

"Ahh, but that is where you are wrong little sister." Gideon answers with a smile.

"See, we have a plan." Fabian says.

"And a good one." Gideon pipes in.

"You see, we think mischievous." Fabian says, trying to sound serious.

"And are good at it." Gideon reminds her.

"So, we decided we will fight against the Dark Lord." Fabian comments, putting thought into what he was saying.

"And be heroes." They both answer together.

Molly couldn't help but stare at her brothers as a shiver of fear ran down her spine, hoping they were making the right decision.

"And if something happens?" She asked, always being the logical one of the three.

"Ahh, we thought of that too. Didn't we Gideon?"

"Yes, we did Fabian."

"And if we die-" Fabian starts off.

"We have died as heroes." Gideon finishes.


	4. Brotherly Bickering

Rubbing her tummy, Molly kneels down to de-gnome the garden. They were nasty little creatures and it took effort to get them out of the garden. She had to manage to catch one, as they were fast, then she had to stand back up, swinging them around to make them dizzy and toss them over the fence they had built around the garden. Whenever the other boys were younger, this was easier as she could do the task with little effort while pregnant with Charlie or Percy, but the child she was carrying now seemed require much more room to move around, causing her obviously pregnant stomach to be nearly twice the size of what it was whenever she carried the other boys.

She was coming to realize now that despite the fact that they were all her sons, not every child grew up to be like either Molly or the twins were as kids. That each of her sons had their own special characteristics, as well as each pregnancy seemed to be slightly different than the last, this one making it obvious.

"Mum! Mum!" A toddler hollered running up to her. Percy was perhaps a bit to young to be playing outdoors with his brothers just yet, merely two in age, but she had little other option as it was almost April and the garden needed de-gnoming if they were ever going to get any decent crops out of it this year.

"What is it Percy?" Molly asks, wiping the sweat from her brow as she looked up at him.

"Carwie and the giwl. Dey kissing beind the sed." He said matter-of-factly, hoping that he could get Charlie in trouble.

Instead, Molly simply smiled. At least he was paying attention to the young blonde who still, after a year, hadn't left his side and still hadn't heard her own name come out of Charlie's lips. Molly hadn't concerned herself with the young couple. After trying to get the news from Charlie about the girl and all he would tell her was what animals the girl had grown found of, Molly had given up hope on ever having his little girlfriend over for cookies and tea.

"Stop being a tattle-tale." Bill barked from the other side of Molly, quietly helping her de-gnome the garden as if that would make up for the fact that he still refused to let her cut his hair. "You're being a twit."

"Mum!" Percy squealed, glaring at Bill. "He call me twit."

"That's enough you two." Molly answered forcefully, "Percy, go play. Bill, unless you want me to take those scissors to your hair tonight-"

"I'm on it mum." Bill answered quickly, grabbing another gnome and spinning it around by it's over-sized potato shaped head.

"MUM WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Charlie screams out, running up to the garden from behind the shed, where Percy had caught them and told Charlie he was going to tell their mum everything. The little blonde-haired girl followed quickly behind, equally concerned for the gnome that Bill was spinning around. "That is mean to them." He tells her, grabbing the gnome out of Bill's hands as they played tug of war with it, Bill having it by it's head, Charlie by it's hard, bony, hoof-like feet.

Suddenly, the gnome started to scream in a high-pitched, nearly squeaky voice. "Lemme go! Lemme go!" It squealed, in fear for it's own life.

"Let him go!" The blonde girl screamed out, her hands in fists as she watched in fear, listening to the little gnome.

"LEMME GO! PEES LEMME GO!" The gnome continued to scream as Bill and Charlie continued to play tug-of-war with the gnome, each one not willing to cave in and admit they were wrong.

"You are hurting him!" Charlie hollered at his older brother, glaring into Bill's eyes.

"I'm hurting him? You are pulling him by his feet!" Bill grunted, pulling harder.

"Let him go!" Molly screamed, worried of what would happen if neither of the boys did. She didn't want to have to explain death to a four-year-old and a six-year-old, much less have them see what happened if they didn't let him go.

"You heard mum!" Percy cries out as the boys continue to pull.

The girl, having heard enough of the gnome crying out for his life, ran up between Charlie and Bill, grabbing the gnome by it's body and pulling it out of the boys' hands, holding him close to her body before putting him down on the ground.

"I ON'T COME BACK! I ON'T! I ON'T!" The gnome yells, darting for the fence and quickly burrowing a hole underneath the fence to climb through. It was done with the Weasley garden, never to return. "I ON'T! NEVER SEE 'E GAIN!" It screamed as it disappeared to the other side of the fence.

"I think that's enough de-gnoming for today." Molly said firmly, grabbing both boys by the arms and dragging them inside. "Wait until your father hears about this one!"

A few hours later, as Molly worked on dinner for the family, she watched as Bill and Charlie flew around on some small brooms out in the backyard. They were smaller than the brooms Molly and Arthur had in school, being made for young children just learning how to fly and only hovered about a foot off the ground. They were good for the boys though and Molly and Arthur had saved up what little money they could to invest in the boys having new toys to play with.

"Mum! Mum!" Percy cried out, pulling on Molly's leg. "I help! I help!"

Looking down at her youngest son past her stomach, Molly smiled. "I don't need any help." She said softly to him, "But go play and thank you." Looking back up at the window, she watched as Charlie flew out of her eyesight, Bill not far behind him and sighed. She could only hope, as she watched the potatoes peel themselves on the counter, that this child was finally the girl she had been hoping for. She was much bigger with this pregnancy and oftentimes felt what seemed like kicks in both her ribs and her hips at the same time, but convinced herself that it was very possibly just the baby fully stretched out.

Suddenly Molly saw as Bill ran into the room, tears streaming down his face. "Mum! Mum! It's Charlie! He's hurt! He's not breathing."

Molly dropped what she was doing, the potato that was peeling itself falling onto the counter. Molly couldn't help but imagine the worst. That he had fallen off of his broom, hitting his head on a rock and was lying unconscious. That he had fallen into the pigpen and one of the bigger boars had trampled him. "What happened?"

"We...we were flying around." Bill answered, running out the front door, Molly following quickly behind him. "He ran into a thorn bush. I'm...I'm sorry, I was chasing him." He cried out, feeling as if it were his fault for what had happened. "There...there is blood everywhere."

Molly followed Bill out to the thorn bushes on the far side of the yard before she saw Charlie laying there, holding his arm. Sighing in relief that her son was okay, she now saw why Bill had said that he wasn't breathing, as he looked like he had just lost his wind in the fall. "Let me see!" She cried out, over his blood stained tears, exposing his arm having several deep scratches in it. "We need to get you inside. Bill, grab the brooms." Quickly, she picked the four-year-old up, holding him close to her bosom as she carried him into the house, wiping his tears away. Bill opened the door for her as she ran in, setting Charlie on the table.

Quickly Percy ran in, trying to see what all the ruckus was about. He came face-to-face with a crying Charlie on the table, blood running out between his fingers and Molly searching underneath the cabinet below the sink. It was the 'no-no' cabinet as she called it and she kept it charmed so that only her or Arthur could open it. Percy knew this couldn't be good if she was getting into the 'no-no' cabinet.

"Ith he otay?" Percy asked nervously, watching as Charlie cried, holding his arm painfully. On a dime, Molly turned around, seeing the fear in her toddler's eyes.

"Bill, grab Percy!" She hollered, not wanting the child to see the blood and deep cuts on Charlie's arm or make the situation any worse for Charlie. Bill dashed over, doing as told as he turned Percy around, leading him out of the kitchen. Percy turned his head at the last minute, seeing bits of Charlie's arm as Molly pulled his hand off of the wounds. He saw the deep gashes in the flesh, not going near the bone, but deep enough to cause the blood to drip onto the table. At that moment he promised himself, no matter what, Percy Ingatius Weasley, would never fly a broom unless he absolutely had to.

Molly watched as Percy left the room with Bill before taking the vial of Dittany and quietly pouring it on Charlie's cuts. The boy cried and screamed, what he thought was from pain, although he felt nothing painful on his arm as the wounds slowly healed shut, leaving little more than a week-old looking healing on his arm. His crying calmed down to a whimper as he stared at his arm in shock while Molly took a wet rag, wiping the blood away.

"See," She whispers softly to him, the way someone would sooth a crying infant. "Mum made it all better."

Softly, Charlie nodded as he looked down at his arm. He looked back up at his mother as she used the same rag to wipe the dirt-lined tear streaks off of his face.

"There we go." She whispers, "All better. Now go play with your brothers." She sighed as she watched Charlie run off, going to play with his brothers. She couldn't understand ever more than now that boys will be boys and could only hope, as she rubbed her oversized belly that this one instead, would be a girl.


	5. The Art of Mischief Managed

Arthur walked into the house after a long day at work to see his identical infants cooing on the living room floor at each other. Never in his life did he think that the miserable pregnancy Molly had to endure would bless them with twins. Never did they expect for that to be the case. Molly was so set on this one being a girl, seeing as how the pregnancy was different than it had been with Bill, Charlie or Percy.

He could see the flicker of disappointment in Molly's face the day that the Healer picked her head up from beneath the blanket. "It's a boy." She said happily, "Congratulations again Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." Molly's face only held the disappointment momentarily before the Healer looked back underneath the blanket. "You may want to continue pushing however Molly." She said in shock. "It appears you are having twins."

"Twins?" Molly asked before feeling another contraction take over, causing her to push once again. "That...that's impossible." She exclaimed, thinking of her brothers who were already off fighting a war of their own.

"It don't look impossible from here Mrs. Weasley." The Healer answered as Molly pushed again, squeezing down on Arthur's hand with another contraction. "And here we go."

The cry came out instantly as Molly felt a relief of pressure against her lower region. As if on cue, the other twin returned the cry with one in equal pitch and volume.

"I never saw us having twins." Molly answered as Arthur rocked the identical bundle of joy less than an hour later. "They are beautiful though." She whispers, brushing the hair out of her newborn son's face. They carried the same red hair as the rest of the Weasley clan but instead of the thick curls Charlie and Percy held, or the waves that Bill still hadn't let Molly cut, these two had thin fine red hair like Fabian and Gideon. Molly couldn't help but smile down at her son resting in her arms, thinking of her brothers and the cause they were fighting for. "You know," She says softly, not taking her eyes off of the newborn. "I never did care for the names Fabian and Gideon."

"Really?" Arthur answers, shocked to hear it come out of Molly's mouth.

"No." She replies, rubbing underneath the child's chin. "I thought they were too much of wizarding names. Prefer the muggle names honestly." She confessed, thinking about it. "But I would like to name the twins in their honor."

Arthur stood there looking at his newborn son as he thought about it. "What if we give them names similar to it." He put some more thought into it, wanting each boy to have both Fabian and Gideon's name put into their own for the help that they had given Molly and him whenever they first realized Molly was pregnant with Bill. "What about..." He put some more thought into it before speaking up. "You, my son, will be George Fabian Weasley." He says, looking to Molly for approval.  
"I like it." She answers softly before looking down at the bundle she held in her own arms. "And you, my secret surprise, will be Fred Gideon Weasley."

"Perfect." Arthur answered with a smile. "Fred and George Weasley."

Looking out the door, Arthur waved his hand, guiding the other young children into the room. Quickly, the three boys ran from the Healer's station over to the door.  
"Can we see her? Can we see her?" Bill asks, excited at the thought of having a little sister as well.

"Well," Arthur answers, looking down at the blue blanket surrounding baby George. "It's not a girl."

"IT'S A BOY!" Percy and Bill holler out at the same time, Bill's voice sounding of excitement while Percy's sounded more like disappointment. He had already seen the hard time Molly was having keeping track of the other two boys, them just hitting the age of mud, rough housing, and bickering over what belonged to who. Girls couldn't be any more difficult than that.

"It's actually two boys." Arthur answers, guiding Percy and Bill into the room, Charlie following quietly behind them. He shut the door behind his three sons allowing them to look at the infants.

Percy looked at the matching bundles with disgust. Twins. Even at his age of two he could see the resemblance they would hold to his uncles. Troublesome twins, he reminded himself, always causing mum grief and trouble. Always making noise and causing her to scream just like his uncles did and he didn't like it.

"This is great!" Bill says, looking down at George whenever Arthur sat down. He didn't share the same feelings as his brother. He saw the twins as that much more excitement. At six, he saw twin boys as more fun. That much more boy for him to run around and play with.

Quietly Charlie pulled up a chair next to Molly's bed, looking baby Fred in the face. "How?" He asks quietly, looking at his mum confused. Any time they had new baby piglets or chicks, the mother only had one at a time. Twins was a new thought to him.

"Sometimes," Molly told Charlie carefully, trying to think of how to explain it to him. "Sometimes, a mum has two babies instead of one. Remember how big mum was when she told you there was a baby in there?" She asks, pointing at her less obvious tummy.

Gently, Charlie nodded as he tried to understand.

"Well, mum thought there was only a baby in there." She says softly, "But daddy put two in there."

Charlie nodded again, thinking he understood what Molly meant as she looked up at her husband sleepily.

"Come on boys," Arthur tells them. "Let's go back out into the hall. Your uncles can watch you while mum and the babies take a nap." All three boys quickly get up from where they were sitting and walk towards the door.

"Love you mum." Bill tells her, looking over his shoulder before he leaves, the other two already ahead of him.

"Love you too son." She answers before Arthur shut the door again, leaving them alone with their newborn sons.

"Do you think they will be anything like Fabian and Gideon?" She asked as she heard her brothers causing mischief down the hall there at St. Mungo's while Bill and Charlie's familiar laughs echoed into her room, as well as Percy's constant screams to stop.

"I'm sure they will." Arthur answers, "I'm sure they will have the talent of Mischief managed."


	6. Double The Trouble

Quietly, the twins snuck up behind the door frame, hiding from Percy. He didn't see it coming by far. He was four years old and to be brutally honest, the twins were tired of him always ratting them out on things they did to mum and dad. The latest one had been whenever he had told Molly that they were the ones responsible for switching her sugar out with her salt, causing her famous peanut butter fudge that she oftentimes made with now ten year old Bill to taste salty and bitter.

Molly and Bill had worked all evening on the fudge while Charlie and Percy sat at the kitchen table, working on their arithmetic and writing skills. "If you don't work on it, how will you ever get good enough at it to make it in Hogwarts." She reminded them as Charlie drew pictures of dragons and merpeople along the border of his page, ignoring the now more complicated math problems on his piece of parchment. "And I am watching you two to make sure that it is done right." She barked.

She paid little attention to Bill in regards to his arithmetic problems anymore, him already exceeding where he should have been in math. He had moved on to bigger and better things now, already having the skill of counting sickles and galleons down. Now, as Molly had put it, he needed to learn how to work on potions and what better way to learn his measurements for potions other than to help her cook, muggle style.

"I swear William Arthur Weasley!" She scolded as she watched the boy grab a small cauldron from underneath the sink, his hair falling down into his face. "If you do NOT get that hair out of your face, I promise you it won't be there by morning!"

In one swift movement, Bill put his hair up in a ponytail before returning to what he was doing. "Medium heat, right mum?" He asked, ignoring the fact that she had just, once again, threatened to cut his hair.

"I don't know, read the directions I wrote down." Molly answered, looking at her son. She did in fact know how that it was medium heat. It was her famous peanut butter fudge, after all. The same one her mother had taught her how to make potions with, but she knew Bill wasn't going to learn how to do potions if she guided him through it.

Bill looked at the directions in Molly's neat cursive handwriting before lowering the heat to medium and putting what he thought was the sugar, peanut butter and milk in the cauldron, biting his bottom lip to focus and make sure he got the measurements right. He was too busy focusing on making his 'potion' correctly to even hear the snickering from the stairwell.

Percy, on the other hand, heard it clearly, turning his head from his homework just in time to see the two red-haired heads disappear on the stairwell. "Mum," He started in, "Their up to something."

"That's enough Percy." Molly answered, "Work on your schoolwork."

"But mum, they are doing something." Percy whines, not taking his eyes off of the stairwell.

"Of course they are doing something." Molly answered, trying to focus on Bill's attempt at peanut butter fudge. "They are two. Now, go back to your work."

Sighing, Percy looks back down at his piece of parchment in defeat. He knew they were up to something, some kind of trickery, he just couldn't place what exactly it was. And now, he had to act like he didn't see it. After a few minutes, he hears the snickering again, turning his head quickly to the stairwell suspiciously. "Mum," He repeats.

"That is enough Percy Weasley!" Molly scolded, causing Percy to look back at his simple math problems with irritation.

About an hour later, Molly allowed the boys to each get a piece of fudge and see how well Bill had done. Percy eyed Fred and George suspiciously whenever they denied the fudge.

"No hungy." They said in unison. "No hungy!"

Molly nodded, handing the other three boys a small piece of fudge on saucers. The boys stared at their fudge, none of them wanting to be the first to try them as they sat at the table.

"Try it." Bill says, looking at Charlie.

"No," Charlie answers with a smile. "You may have poisoned it." The boy spoke few words, but when he did they were mainly to Bill. The two boys, as being the oldest, had grown close over the years.

"I'll try it with you." Bill laughs. "We will try it together. Then, if I poisoned you I will die too."

"Okay." Charlie answers, both boys taking a bite out of their fudge at the same time. They chewed into their fudge momentarily, allowing it to dissolve in their mouths before spitting it out.

"UGH!" Bill groans, spitting it out.

"It tastes horrid!" Charlie answers, rubbing his tongue quickly. "What did you do?!"

"I don't know!" Bill answers, his face scrunched up in disgust. Suddenly, Percy heard the snickering again on the stairwell and took a nibble off of his own piece of fudge and glaring at the boys. Mum was going to hear about this, their disgusting salty fudge.

Now, as the twins waited behind the door frame, they knew exactly what they were going to do. Holding either side of a jump rope, they waited until Molly went outside to see something Charlie was trying to show her before running on either side of Percy, clothes-lining him with the jump rope. They smiled at each other before circling in opposite directions, giving each other a high five as they crossed paths. They ran around him about five or six times before George tied the jump rope behind Percy's back and they shoved him into a closet in the living room. Smiling, they wrapped their arms around each other's necks and walked off, big grins covering their faces.

About twenty minutes later, Molly walked into the room. "Fred, George." She said, looking from one boy to the other. "Where is your brother?"

The boys smirked before pointing at each other at the exact same time.

"Not that brother," Molly answered, already seeing this was going to be a challenge. "Your other brother."

The boys smirk again before pointing out the window right as Bill and Charlie zoom by on their brooms.

"YOUR OTHER BROTHER!" Molly growls, glaring at them. The boys smirk at each other, wondering how much they can get away with before both of them pointing at Molly's baby bump.

"WHERE IS PERCY!" She hollers, getting frustrated with the twins lack of participation.

"Coset?" Fred asks, shrugging his shoulders.

"Maybay?" George finishes, trying to hold back a smile.

Walking behind the two boys, Molly quickly opens the closet door as a tied up Percy falls out, a closet full of brooms and empty boxes falling down on top of him. Molly felt herself tense up with fury as she stares down at a helpless Percy, his eyes staring back mercilessly.

"I HAVE HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOU TWO'S SHENANIGANS!" Molly yells, placing her hands on her hips as she stares at the twins. "DO YOU TWO REALIZE WHAT YOU COULD HAVE-" She stops as a pop fills the room, Fred and George's eyes growing wide with excitement at the sound.

"Surprise." Fabian laughs, leaning over Molly's shoulder.

"Miss us?" Gideon says with a smile, leaning over her other shoulder.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TWO! POPPING IN, SURPRISING ME! LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE GOTTEN GEORGE AND FRED STARTED ON!" She says, pointing down at a helpless Percy.

"Good job!" The twins say with a smile as they give the toddlers a high five, causing Molly to turn even redder.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! WHAT IF HE HAD BEEN HURT!"

"But he's not." Gideon answers matter-of-factually.

"Bit shaken up is all." Fabian replies as the twins sit down, absorbing every ounce of information they can from their idol uncles.

"THIS!" Molly hollered, pointing at her brother's chests, "THIS IS WHY THESE BOYS ACT THE WAY THEY DO!"

Fabian and Gideon look at each other almost remorsefully before smiling a huge smile and giving each other a high five.

"Job well done brother!" Gideon laughs.

"Read my mind." Fabian answers back.


	7. The Guardian Clock

Molly felt as if she were going to pull her hair out as she set the food down on the kitchen table. Bill quietly helped Molly set the table, placing glasses of milk at each seat at the table as Molly pulled the garlic bread out of the oven. Charlie, who was now more interested in playing with the chickens than he was eating, was hollering from the kitchen door.

"Mum, can I not eat? Please? Can I please not eat?" He hollered, causing the room to fill up with more chaos as the twins started beating on the table with their plastic fork and knife.

"Food! Food! Food! Food!" They holler in unison as if they were starving kings from a medieval time. "Food! Food! Food! Food!"

"STOP!" Percy screams out, trying to make his voice carry over theirs, "That's enough! Stop!"

Molly couldn't help but feel overwhelmed as amongst all this, her ickle Ronniekins cried from his high chair, a mere six months old, begging to be held and loved on by Molly. She couldn't argue the fact that it was her fault Ronniekins had grown so fond of her affection, he was after all, the youngest of her boys and her and Arthur had agreed at that point, that with the Burrow complete, each boy having his own room minus Fred and George, that they were done trying. A realization had filled Molly not with Bill or Charlie, but after having Percy, Fred, George, and Ronniekins that she would never have the baby girl she had always wanted and she was tired of each time, picking out the most beautiful of girl names and then being let down by having another boy. So, one night not long after Ronniekins was born, Molly had sat Arthur down and told him that her heart couldn't take it anymore and that they needed to simply be happy with the six boys. Arthur told her to think about it before rolling over and going to bed, not agreeing or disagreeing with his wife either way, knowing how easy it was for women to change their minds and confronted her the following morning when she had stuck with her original plan. They were done having babies.

"That's enough!" She hollers out into the kitchen, trying to get her boys to calm down. She didn't realize as she said it that the twins were in the mimicking stage who in return started screaming "Nuff! Nuff! Nuff! Nuff!"

"Nuff! Nuff! Nuff! Nuff!"

"You heard mum!" Percy hollers back, trying to get the twin boys to stop screaming.

"Nuff! Nuff! Nuff! Nuff!"

"Bill, grab the stuffed snitch! Give it to Ronniekins!" Molly barked, frustrated over the screaming, hollering, and crying in her kitchen.

"Can I mum? Can I? Mum? Mum?" Charlie hollered from the doorway, holding up a chicken, half in and half out of the kitchen. The chicken, terrified that it was going to be what was for dinner, clucked and squawked as it flapped it's wings in the kitchen, putting feathers all over the floor.

"Charlie!" Molly hollered as the living room door opens up, Arthur walking into the house.

Almost instantly, everything stops. The twins drop their forks and knives as they stare at their father, Ronniekins stops crying as Bill hands him the snitch, Percy glares at the twins, giving them a 'You're in for it now' stare, Charlie quietens down and even the chicken makes a single cluck as it turns it's head, trying to see Arthur walk in the door.

"Daddy!" Fred and George scream out in unison, getting up from their spots at the table and running over to Arthur to hug him while Percy stands up quietly and slowly walks over. Ronniekins smiles big at his father, a string of drool falling from his toothless mouth as he does. Bill went back to setting the table quietly, looking over at Charlie.

"Put the chicken down and help me." He says, his voice calm as if he were talking to his best friend instead of his little brother. Softly, Charlie nods, setting the chicken in the grass at the back door and helps Bill by grabbing some plates from the cabinet.

"Won't it be so much easier when we can do this with magic?" Charlie asks, looking at his nearly ten year old brother.

"I don't know." Bill grumbles, thinking about it. "Mum couldn't have had me two months early so that I could go to Hogwarts at the same time as all the other kids my age. Have to be the oldest in my class."

"Could always be worse." Charlie reminds him, "You could be a squib."

"True," Bill answers, thinking about it. "I guess I didn't really see it like that."

"Besides," Charlie says, thinking about it. "You are the oldest so mum and dad have to buy all new stuff for you. You get new books, a new cauldron, you already have a broom you can take. Me and the others, we all get your hand-me-downs."

"Didn't really think about it that way." Bill answers, "I guess it is kind of nice then. And by then Ronniekins will be older."

"Exactly," Charlie says, as if he had been the one to point that out to Bill. "So mum will be done buying silly baby stuff for him. She will have galleons saved up so that she can buy you books. Maybe you'll even get to bring a pet."

"Leave it to you to mention an animal in all this." Bill laughs, shaking his head at his younger brother. "Although my own cat would be nice. Never had a cat before."

"Cat?" Charlie asks, staring at him "You wouldn't want an owl? Like a snow owl? They are so smart."

"No," Bill answers, tilting his head slightly as they finished setting the table. "Just a cat."

Dinner was chaotic as usual, food getting passed as Arthur explained his day at the office. He had just been promoted to the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office and was now talking about it every day whenever he got home to anyone who would listen. Molly tried to listen to her husband but was oftentimes too busy feeding Ronniekins or telling Fred to stop trying to see how many peas he could stick up George's nose to pay close attention to what Arthur was telling her. Percy listened with the most satisfaction, not even caring about the muggle artifacts, but the thought of being in a room as big as what Arthur explained the main entrance to be. He imagined the windows upon windows lining the walls that appeared to go on for miles, the owls that flew from room to room as messengers and the fountains that spit out water. The departments and order of it all, the strictness. He knew there were no kids running around like mad men there, no screaming and crying constantly. Somewhere in the four-year-old's mind, Percy had found a safe haven in the thought of the ministry. It was his place to get away from kids like Fred and George.

Bill and Charlie usually sat there talking amongst themselves during dinner, usually discussing Hogwarts, magical creatures, or Quidditch. Normally it was a topic the boys shared similar interest in but even if they didn't, they talked just to talk. Their friendship had grown over the years and was now to the point to where, after Molly and Arthur tucked all the boys in and went to bed, Charlie would sneak out of bed and sneak across the hall into Bill's room. They would sit up and talk in the light of the full moon until the wee hours of the morning, normally both of them passing out on Bill's bed, one at the head of the bed and the other at the foot. Molly, upon walking in the next morning, couldn't help but shake her head thankful that the boys got along so well. She couldn't help but wonder how Charlie was going to take to Bill being gone for his first year at Hogwarts.

Suddenly, Arthur said something that stopped the entire family from their conversations at the table. "I brought something home." He says, causing Molly to glare at him before she stood up and started to clear off the table. She had warned him the first time after he brought home a toaster that there were to be no more muggle artifacts in the house. She couldn't handle the fact that the bread she placed inside of there was thrown out into the air merely minutes later, giving her just enough time to forget about it before she heard the pop and had to drop to the floor to keep from getting hit.

"I thought I said no more." Molly stated firmly as she placed the dishes in the sink and with a twist of her wrist with her wand, the empty gloves turned on the water and started scrubbing the first plate.

"I promise Molly," Arthur tells her softly, trying to keep her calm. "This one won't attack you. Just look at it." With that, he used his own wand to flick at the front door, causing it to open as a grandfather clock appeared. Molly stared at the item, it's height being of slight intimidation.

"And what is that?" She asked, watching the pendulum move back and forth.

"It is a muggle clock." Arthur answers, "but I figured we can find some sort of use out of it. I mean, look at it." He stands up showing Molly as he moved the hands on the clock from number to number. "It's how they keep time and it dings every half-hour. Tell me this isn't amazing."

The boys stood around as they stared at the clock, all of them afraid to touch it after he had brought home the jack-in-the-box, an evil little block that if you turned the knob enough times, a giant clown popping out and into the child's face. It had given Percy nightmares for weeks afterwards, him oftentimes wetting the bed right as he pictured the clown's smile jumping at him.

"It's fine boys," Arthur reminded them. "No surprises this time. Now Molly, what do you say we do with it?" He asks, looking at his wife.

"I say you take it right back to the ministry where it belongs Arthur Weasley." Molly answered, putting her hands on her hips.

"I have an idea." Percy whispered softly, staring at the clock in awe. "To keep all of us out of trouble."

"And what would that be, my boy?" Arthur asked, picking the four-year-old up with a groan so he could see the clock better.

"What if here-" Percy starts, pointing at the one. "You put bed. And on this one-" he says, pointing at the two "You put school." He went around the numbers, on each one listing something different such as work, garden, danger, and prison. He glared at the twins as he said the word prison, causing Fred to stick his tongue out at him while George snarled his nose.

"That's a great idea Percy!" Arthur says with pride as he puts the boy down and pats him on the back. "And we can give the clock more arrows, that way we know where everyone is. None of the boys will ever come up missing again." He says with a smile. "Nothing like your situation with the closet, huh Percy?!" he says with a laugh.

Percy flushed with embarrassment momentarily before walking off, smiling at the twins with a corrupted, evil smile as he did. "Serves you two right." He says in satisfaction as he holds his head high.

The twins look at each other before looking at the back of Percy's head, each twin only saying one word under his breath.

"Evil"

"Twit."


	8. Molly's Bug

Right about the time of Ronniekins ten month mark, Molly came down with a flu bug that caused her to throw up constantly. She also had a heightened sense of smell, making it nearly impossible for her to spend any time whatsoever in the kitchen and was constantly tired, sometimes sleeping up to fourteen hours a day. Arthur couldn't help but worry about his wife, concerned that it may be the starting signs of Dragon Pox but with him still being fairly new at the position as head of department, he couldn't afford to miss any work.

His 'office' as they called it wasn't any bigger than their laundry room there at the Burrow and when he had taken over, it had been overflowing with paperwork that really had no place to go, the grandfather clock that now sat in between their living room and kitchen, and about ten to fifteen other random muggle items. The mess didn't bother Arthur but in order for him to get any further than the last Head of Muggle Artifacts did, he would have to make the mess his own, allowing him to know exactly where everything was, even if no one else could figure it out in the bundle of randomness and that would take time, something he didn't have much of if he was staying home with Molly who was sick.

So instead, Bill took over as the man of the house, wiping Molly's face with a cold rag while she lay in bed, complaining of total body aches and exhaustion, cooking the meals, and keeping the house kept up to par. He did everything he could to help Molly while she was sick; sending Charlie out to feed the animals and make sure the pigs had plenty of hay to stay warm. He would also send Percy outside with the twins, trying to get them out of his own hair as much as possible, and bundle them up in matching snowsuits, only their boots, one wearing red, the other blue, to tell them apart. Percy whined about it, saying he didn't want to be responsible for whatever mischief they got into and would rather stay inside with Ronniekins but that was when Bill would scold him, sending him outside to watch over them anyway.

Meanwhile Bill would stay in the house, taking care of Ronniekins and cooking dinner for the others. He told himself that this would help with his potions, being able to measure everything out and cook the food according to the directions. In fact, Bill had gotten so used to doing all of the household chores, he nearly forgot that he wasn't going to Hogwarts yet and was almost thankful that he hadn't, seeing as how his mum needed him now more than ever and none of the other boy would have been able to take on the responsibility of running the entire house.

That evening, Bill set out seven bowls of chicken noodle soup and set a bowl to the side for Molly as he watched Ronniekins stand up against the couch and try to walk before falling back down on his bum. He shook his head as he placed spoons around the table, knowing eventually Ronniekins would get it, it was just taking him a little bit longer than the other boys. Molly had started working with the others from day one, teaching them all how to sit up and walk and talk at a young age, much younger than what muggle children did, according to what Arthur had said during one conversation, but Ronniekins was spoiled by Molly before she got sick and was always being held and loved on instead of taught how to walk and talk like the others.

Walking over to the back door, Bill yelled out into the yard, calling in the other boys who trampled through the house, their shoes still covered in snow and mud. Sighing, Bill looked down at the floor.

"You couldn't have wiped your feet off first?" He asks, staring at the mud tracks in frustration. It seemed like all he did anymore was clean up after them.

"Otay mum." Fred said, smiling over at George.

"Wite away." George answered, a mischievous grin on his face.

"You know what, forget it." Bill said, not even wanting to know what they may or may not have up their sleeves as he reached down with a towel and wiped the water and mud up off the floor. He couldn't see how mum could put up with their mischief.

"I'm home." Arthur hollered as the front door opened. "Where are my boys?"  
Jumping up from the table, the twins run over to him trying to wrap their tiny arms around him in a hug while Percy walks over slowly, hugging him too. "How did they do today?" He asked, looking back at Bill who was standing in the kitchen.

Shrugging, Bill answers his father the same way Molly always had. "The usual," He says, setting a sippy cup of milk in front of Ronniekins.

"And tell me," Arthur asks, with concern and interest as he grabbed Molly's bowl off the counter. "How is your mother?"

"Same as always." Bill answers, "She managed to keep her lunch down, but all I gave her was tea because I was worried about her getting sick." He tells him, "Other than that, she has been sleeping all day, still no fever and no other symptoms."

Arthur nods as Bill sees a wrinkle form across his forehead. Bill had always known what that wrinkle meant, it meant that Arthur was concerned. He had it whenever Charlie had gotten hurt in the thorn bush, whenever the twins were born, and whenever Ronniekins had crawled too close to the pigpen while Molly and Bill were de-gnoming the garden. It was a very familiar wrinkle.

"I think she will be fine dad." Bill says, comforting his father even though even he was unsure. "Go up and see her. She will be happy to know you are home."

Arthur nodded, the wrinkle not leaving his face as he started to walk towards the bedroom to go see his wife. As he opened the door, he saw her lying there sleeping, her hair in a hundred different directions from not being able to get up. Her face was pasty white from throwing up just about every meal she had eaten and her cheekbones were starting to sink in.

"Molly?" He asked quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Can you hear me?"

Softly Molly nodded her head as she opened her eyes. "Arthur." She said softly, her voice raspy from throwing up so much.

"I brought you chicken noodle soup. Bill made it." He says, holding the spoon up to her mouth. Slowly, Molly sipped it off the spoon, afraid that it would cause her to get sick again.

"It's good." She whispers, "Bill is doing very well at cooking."

Arthur nodded. "He is, you should be proud of him. Molly, I think you need to see a Healer. Don't you think this has gone far enough?"

Molly looked at her husband with frustration in her eyes. She was tired of him bringing this up constantly, always telling her she wasn't doing good and needed to see a Healer.

"If I do, not like we have the money for it, will you leave me alone about it?" She asked, her voice barely audible.

Arthur nods again, "Yes, I will. Just please see one."

"Okay," Molly answered, "Call one and have them come in tomorrow morning."

The next day Arthur took the morning off from work, him and Bill sitting nervously in the living room while they waited for the Healer's results. Bill sat quietly reading while Arthur went from sitting impatiently, tapping his foot while he continuously looked at his watch, to pacing and back to sitting again only to repeat the cycle ten minutes later. The twins, Fabian and Gideon, had come over to help Arthur with the younger boys while he waited for the results on Molly, saying it would help ease the tension but Arthur couldn't help but get more nervous anytime he would hear a loud boom in the backyard, looking at Bill who would shrug his shoulders and then returning to pacing. The only other child not out there with Fabian and Gideon was Ronniekins, who sat there in the living room with Arthur and Bill, silently playing with his blocks.

As the door to Molly and Arthur's bedroom opened up, Arthur and Bill both stood at full attention, ready to hear any information the Healer had to offer to them about Molly's current condition. The Healer, a young woman in her mid-twenties with long sleek blonde hair and deep sea green eyes that looked to be in a constant daze looked back at Arthur before jumping at the sound of another bang in the backyard.

"Mr. Weasley," She started, nodding her head at him.

"Madam Lovegood," He nodded back, "Thank you for coming on such short notice."  
"It's not a problem." She answered softly, as if talking off into the distance. "It is, after all, only a block away."

Arthur nodded understanding. She wasn't the woman he felt most comfortable with taking care of his wife, but many of the other Healers were busy on such short notice with the Wizarding War going on and couldn't step away long enough to do a house call.

"How is my wife?" He asked her, looking down momentarily at his feet in fear.

The Healer heard another loud bang outside and upon glancing up, saw four boys running past the window. She stared in awe at the man, feeling sorry for him for having six boys in the house, including the littlest one playing with his blocks at her feet and the other boy staring up at her impatiently.

"I think you should sit down for this Mr. Weasley," Madam Lovegood answered.

Sitting back down, Arthur continued to look up at the woman. "So," He asked, impatient now with waiting. "What is wrong with my wife?"

"She is expecting." The Healer answered, "It is morning sickness, drowsiness, and a heightened sense of smell. She also told me she is two weeks late for her monthly, so I did a pregnancy test. Congratulations."

"Congratulations?" Arthur asked, "But she never had any of these symptoms before. She was always great carrying the boys. She never threw up, never overslept like she does now, never-"

"I gave her a potion I created to help with the morning sickness. She shouldn't be throwing up anymore. As for the oversleeping, that too shall pass in a few weeks."

"But she never did this before." Arthur answers again, in shock.

"That is because, Mr. Weasley, she has never been pregnant with a girl before. Congratulations."


	9. Bursting At The Seams

Madam Lovegood came by once a week for about six or seven weeks after that, each time giving Molly a little bit more of the potion she had brewed up. It wasn't much but the Healer was right, it did help Molly with her morning sickness. During those times, she would also sit on the bed, talking with Molly as well.

"I am expecting too you know?" The Healer confessed once during their visits. "I am rather excited about it. Although me and Xenophilius haven't been married for long, and we only courted probably about three months before we wed, we felt as if it were time."

Molly couldn't help but look at the woman, knowing she should have made the connection with the last name. Suddenly, she got queasy at the thought of anyone Xenophilius had dated taking care of her at her sickest. Xenophilius had gone to school with both her and Arthur, earning himself the name "Zany Xeno" in school whenever he started talking about unknown magical creatures that no one had ever heard of. Whenever the Daily Prophet shot him down not long after he graduated Hogwarts, he got furious with them and created his own magazine called The Quibbler. It wasn't much, Molly had probably read it a handful of times but whenever Xenophilius started talking about how everything was a conspiracy theory or how the Ministry was really ran by house elves using the Polyjuice Potion, Molly felt it was in her best interest to simply put the magazine down.

"Oh really?" She asked, trying to sound interested.

"Yes," The Healer answered, looking down at her still-flat stomach distantly, "It's a girl too. I imagine she will be just like her father. Have her name picked out already and everything."

Molly, trying not to be judgmental, couldn't help but cringe at the thought of a little girl growing up just as off as her father, even if she didn't want to be the woman who judged. "And what name is that?" She asked curiously.

"Why Luna of course." The woman answered, staring up at Molly. Her brown eyes gazed not at her, but past her into something in the distance.

"It's a beautiful name." Molly answered with a smile. "It will fit her well." _Especially if she is as in the stars as her father. _"Arthur and I have tossed around a few names ourselves." She says, thinking about it. "I think I like Ginevra."

"That's nice." The Healer answered, confirming to Molly that she was just as normal as her husband was.

After Madam Lovegood left that evening, Molly decided to get started on Ginevra's bedroom. She thought the nickname "Ginny" sounded nice for the little girl that she would get to dress up and play dolls with, and seeing as how she wasn't big on the name Virginia, she figured at least one of her children should have a wizarding name, so Ginevra it was. The room was small, the one her and Arthur had first slept in whenever the bought the house back in 1971, not long after Bill was born, but it was enough for a little girl such as Ginny. She set up the crib, using what little bit leftover in Gringott's that they had to make sure that she had a new crib for their princess and had used a color-changing spell to turn the walls into a beautiful soft pink color. She couldn't help but get excited at the thought. Finally, after all this time, she was getting her little girl. She could jump for joy. It made everything a little bit more difficult in the house as she tried to think of how she was going to set up the boys' rooms, but finally the figured it out.

Baby Ginny got the bottom floor bedroom, the only room the house had originally come, to claim as hers and hers alone. Despite Percy's constant battles against it, Molly and Arthur had decided to put him on the second floor, along with both Fred and George, their rooms being across the hall from each other. Percy complained the entire time, saying he needed his peace and quiet so he could study and that not only were the twins too young and loud, but that they were also trouble and he couldn't focus past their screaming in the other room. Molly tried to comfort her son the best she could, but she said that Charlie and Bill had to stay close together, as for the fact that they were still sleeping in the same bed most nights, but couldn't tell Percy why for the sake of the older two boys.

On the third floor, Bill and Charlie were finally allowed the privilege of sharing a room, which both were more than happy about and to keep them from staying up late into the night doing who-knows-what, Molly and Arthur also put their room on the same floor. Oftentimes in the middle of the night, whenever Molly would start to grow restless due to the pregnancy, she would get up to go get a glass of water, hearing the boys snickering in their bedroom amongst themselves, discussing anything and everything they could think of. Molly couldn't break their hearts by getting onto them though, it was so hard for anyone to get Charlie to talk, if he was willing to talk Bill's ear off, she wasn't going to argue it.

Once you got to the fourth floor of the Burrow, Molly had put ickle Ronniekins room up there, making it close enough that if he cried in the middle of the night, which he often did due to Molly spoiling him with love and affection throughout the day, Molly could quickly run to his side, loving on him immediately and comforting him as he cried, begging for his mother's touch. She knew she had spoiled her youngest son probably a bit too much, more than she had the chance to spoil the others, and he was only thirteen months old, but she couldn't help it. He was her youngest son, the last little boy that she would get to spoil and she wanted to make sure he got the love and affection he deserved. That was why she put him on the top floor, so she could be certain she would be there if ever he son started to cry. She wanted her touch to be the one to comfort him.

Sighing, she looked around baby Ginny's room one last time with a sigh as she put up the light pink curtains. Arthur had been right ten years ago whenever they had picked out the house. It did work wonderfully for the family they were making for themselves, but even more so than that, as she heard Fred and George laughing while Percy telling them to stop in the background. As she heard Ickle Ronniekins scream out "Cacker! Cacker!" begging, probably Bill, for another butter cracker and Charlie outside playing with the chickens as the squawked trying to get away to safety, she looked up at Ginny's curtains and smiled.

Arthur was right, their house was filled with laughter, with love, and it was starting to burst at the seams.


	10. Of Chess and Chickens

That following June, the weather had hit its worst. It was a hot, humid summer with little wind and even less rain, causing Molly's vegetable garden to go sour. She couldn't help but stress as she looked down at her dried up tomato plants, looking a bit more like sticks in the dirt than they did tomato plants, and wonder how on Earth she was going to pay for Bill's school books, baby Ginny's clothing, and vegetables that following year. The twins didn't have any children for her to get hand-me-down books from and the teachers were so busy with switching the books required for a class each year, constantly getting a new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, which hadn't changed since Molly and Arthur were in school, that she didn't think it would do her much good to try getting hand-me-downs from anyone anyway.

She continued to keep in touch with Madam Lovegood down the street, each of them letting the other know how far along they were with their pregnancies as Madam Lovegood was only a few weeks behind Molly in her own pregnancy. They would sit there, talking about how their daughters would grow up, what they may or may not be like, whose looks they would get, and how they would get to play dress-up with them, both women equally excited.

Molly sighed as she leaned down, now seven months pregnant, and picked away at her dead tomato plants, hoping to salvage what little she could.

"Mum, it's hot." Charlie complained, walking up to her. His bright red hair even redder as the sweat collected in it, causing it to stick to his forehead. "Can't we do something?"

"Please?" Bill begged, putting his longer, shoulder-length hair up in a ponytail to get the heat off of the back of his own neck.

"Well," Molly answered, wiping her hands on her apron. "Maybe if you would cut your hair, it wouldn't be so hot." She said as she looked at Bill, who instantly covered his head with his hands as if to hide his hair from his mother.

"I'm not cutting it!" Bill argued back, a constant argument he had held with his mother as she shook her head in disgust. "I like it long."

"Well it looks horrid." His mother exclaimed, "Can't I just cut it for school? I would like for you to look nice whenever you attend Hogwarts on your first day."

"No," Bill answered, repeating himself. "I like it long."

"And you two are bored?" She asked, looking from one to the other as she watched the twins playing off in the distance, each of them laughing as they chased a chicken around the back yard, trying to catch it. She knew they had a hidden plan for the chicken but what it was, she couldn't yet figure out and if it kept them busy, she wasn't going to bother them. A little bit closer to her, Ickle Ronniekins waddled from one portion of dead grass over to another, slowly making his way closer to Molly where she knew he was going to want to be held, stopping her from working in the garden. Percy, on the other hand, quietly sat in the kitchen, working on his reading as he read Hogwarts: A History for the fifth time that week, trying to learn anything extra that he could. Sighing as she knew her yard work was done for the day, Molly walked over and picked up Ickle Ronniekins, giving in to his desire to be held once more.

"Come on then, come inside." She said as she saw the twins grab up the chicken, each one holding the chicken by a single wing as they carried it off. "I will show you two a new game."

The boys sat at the kitchen table, waiting impatiently as Molly dug around in the living room closet. They couldn't help but be excited. The last game she had taught them was Cribbage and although the counting to fifteen and mobbing each other's points was fun, and it was really fun to skunk each other, the game had grown old and they were ready to learn a new one.

"Ah yes," She said to herself as she reached up onto the top shelf, pulling down a brown and white checkered wooden board. "Here we are."

The boys both looked at the board as she sat it down on the table, returning back to the closet and grabbing a small bag filled with different shaped white and black pieces.

"What is it?" Bill asked, staring at the board as Charlie flipped it over to look and see if there was more on the back, which there wasn't.

"It's called Wizard's Chess." Molly answered, placing the pieces where they belonged. "See," she says, picking up a black piece with a man wearing a crown and holding a sword on it. "This is the king." She tells them, placing him in the center of the last row facing Charlie's side. "And this one," She says, holding up a black piece that entailed a man riding a horse that was bucking up. "This is the knight."

Sitting there she explained to the boys, Percy as well as he scoot his chair closer to listen in and try and learn the new game as much as possible, how to play Wizard's Chess. None of them had much interest in the game, as it seemed like too much to learn and memorize until she told Bill to move one of his pawns. Listening intently, he moved the pawn just as she had said.

"Now it's your turn Charlie, pick a pawn and move it."

Charlie did as he was told, moving his pawn forward two spaces so that it was directly diagonal from Bill's white one. The boys watched in awe as Charlie's black pawn reached over and smashed Bill's white one to pieces, causing a smile of amazement to sweep across all three boys faces.

"That was awesome!" Charlie exclaimed as Percy and Bill both stared at the board in awe, their mouths dropped open. "I want to do it again!"

The rest of the evening, Bill, Charlie, and Percy didn't feel an ounce of heat as they all three took turns playing Wizard's Chess against one another, watching their Knights take out a Bishop or their King's cry out in defeat as he got demolished with their favorite term, "Check mate."

Percy wasn't as good at playing as his other brothers, not having the attention to be able to focus on his next move three moves out like the other two boys could, but he still enjoyed playing. By the end of the night, Molly shooed them all away from the chess board before sending them up for their showers. While she bathed Ickle Ronniekins in the tub, Charlie snuck past, making his way into the kitchen and grabbing the chess board and pieces before returning to him and Bill's bedroom.

Bill and Charlie tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, Bill sitting on his bed looking out the window while Charlie sat there reading a magazine Arthur had brought back for him from Mister Moony at the Ministry.

"It has a great article on dragons that you should read." Arthur had told him that night at dinner, "And an even better one on Threstrals, Moony said. He asked about you, wanting to know when exactly you would be going to Hogwarts. Told him you had a few more years, but was looking forward to school either way."

Charlie had taken the article with pride, always wanting to learn anything more that he could on the unknown creatures.

"Did you know the Hungarian Horntail is the most dangerous dragon breed there is?" Charlie asks, kicking his feet back and forth as he lay on his stomach on his bed, reading the article. "It can shoot fire for up to fifty feet." He said with pride.

"So stand sixty feet away from a Hungarian Horntail, got it." Bill answered with a smile, not really caring about the Hungarian Horntail or any other kind of dragon for that matter but he knew it helped Charlie to have someone to listen.

"I don't think that will help Bill," Charlie answers, too concerned with his article to hear the sarcasm in Bill's voice. "They can fly and besides, they live in Hungary. I don't think you are going to Hungary any time soon."

"Nope," Bill answers, "Wasn't planning on it."

"And the Peruvian Vipertooth, his fangs are venomous. He likes to eat goats and cows but will occasionally crave a human, so stay away from Peru too." Charlie read, looking up at Bill for a response.

"No Peru and no Hungary, got it." Bill answers, looking out the window.

"So where are you going to go then?" Charlie asks with a laugh looking at Bill.

"I am going to go to Egypt maybe, or Rome." Bill says, staring at the stars and wondering what they looked like near the pyramids. "I don't quite know where I am going to go, but I want a job where I can travel, view the world."

"That would be nice," Charlie answers as he turns the page of his magazine before hearing Percy's voice scream out in fear on the floor below them. Looking at each other in shock, both of them jump out of bed immediately running out of their bedroom and down the stairs towards the scream, making it there only moments before Molly and Arthur do.

The chicken, the same one the twins had been chasing around earlier that day, was now squawking as it bounced around Percy's bedroom, feathers flying all over his bed and floor.

"They….they did it" Percy whined, pointing at the twins' bedroom door as tears streamed down his face. He had opened his closet door to change into his pajamas, only to have a chicken fly out at his face going ninety-to-nothing as it made all kinds of noises, trying to get out of the dark hiding place the twins had kept it in since before dinner.

Molly swept Percy up in her hands, holding him close to her bosom as she tried to comfort him and calm him down before looking at Arthur sternly. "Go talk to your boys." She said, her face showing that she meant business whenever she said it. This time the twins had gone too far in their pranks. She then turned to look over at Bill and Charlie. "I am not going to have time to tuck you two in tonight. Go upstairs and go STRAIGHT to bed, do you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am." Both Bill and Charlie said in unison, knowing Molly meant business when she had said it. They didn't have to get but out of Molly's sight before smiling at each other and running up the stairs as fast as they could to get into their bedroom. Closing the door, they smile as they blow out the candle in their room, relying on the light of the full moon to play their game of Wizard's Chess. Occasionally as they played, Charlie would catch Bill looking out the window at the full moon behind him.

"What are you looking at?" Charlie asked once, looking behind him at the moon.

"The moon," Bill answered, not taking his eyes off of it. "I don't know, just something about it. The way it lights up the night sky, you know?"

"Yea," Charlie answers, "but it's dangerous. I read in an article that Mister Moony gave dad-"

"About magical creatures?" Bill asks, interrupting him.

"Yup." Charlie answers, matter-of-factly. "In there, it said that werewolves come out in the full moon. That if you get bit or scratched by one and survive, you could turn into a werewolf yourself."

"Oh, that's comforting." Bill laughs, making a move to take Charlie's pawn with his knight. "Too bad I like my steaks well-done."

"Yea," Charlie snickers, "Well if you want to keep it that way, its best you enjoy the moon's view from our room. Check."

"I'll make sure to do that." Bill says, focusing now even harder on the game before making a move.

"Good," Charlie says with a smile, "because I don't know if I'd like you trying to eat me."

"Rawr." Bill growls, causing both boys to laugh before Charlie touched his bishop, making one swift move.

"Check mate."


	11. This Little Piggy Went To Market

**A/N: We are still in need of people on my forum, The Return to Hogwarts, Eighth Year if anyone is interested. It is a Roleplay Forum that now has classes on weekends to learn more about the Harry Potter world, Class Points that you can earn or lose for good and bad behaviors, and we still have plently of people available, such as Goyle, Crabbe, the Patil twins, Blaise, Pansy, Lavender, Dean and Seamus. PM me and let me know if anyone is interested. :) I really would like to build up each house as much as possible, making all of the houses stronger and more active.**

Molly looked down at the tiny red tucket of hair on baby Ginny's head as she rocked her softly to sleep. She could hear Bill and Charlie hollering upstairs, although it sounded more like cheering at the thought of their big adventure tomorrow as Bill had gotten his Hogwarts acceptance letter in the mail today. She could also hear the familiar creeks of their mattresses, telling her that they were jumping on the bed as they were celebrating.

"That's enough!" She heard now five-year-old Percy yell out. "Mum is going to be mad!" As the boys continued to jump on the bed happily. Down the hall, she could also hear George and Fred playing with Ronniekins in the living room, stirring him up to the point to where he would scream out with laughter.  
Molly couldn't help but smile as she listened to all of her boys rambunctiously playing in the house as Arthur walked down the stairs, his hair still wet from his shower.

"How is my little Ginny-bug?" He asked, kissing his pink bundle of joy on the head.

"I think we are done Arthur." Molly told him, looking down at Ginny. "I have my little girl. Any more children and we won't be able to keep them all fed."

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked, looking his wife in the eye. He knew they were on a short budget but he didn't want that to be what put a damper on her dreams.

"Yes," Molly answered, nodding her head. "I have my boys. I have my little girl. My hands are tied from sun up to sun down. I have little free time for myself and Bill is going off to Hogwarts in a month but the twins are getting older, and they are a handful in themselves. I love all my boys but I just don't think we could handle another child right now."

"Okay," Her husband nods, kissing her on the forehead. "We will do the anti-conception spell tonight. Ginny-bug will be our last."

"I'm worried," Molly confessed, finally releasing the fears she had been holding in for the past few months. The drought had put a damper on their budget, as well as the fact that Ginny couldn't wear Ickle Ronniekin's hand-me-downs and needed new clothes. "How are we going to get Bill's school supplies? His books? His cauldron? Did you hear what he wants for Hogwarts? A cat. A cat! How am I going to be able to get him a cat Arthur! How?!"

Arthur looked at his wife as tears formed in her eyes from the frustration. She wanted so much to be able to provide everything that she possibly could for the boys and their budget, even with his promotion, simply wasn't enough to cover all the expenses they had. He thought about it for a moment before brushing the hair out of Molly's face and kissing her lightly.

"Don't worry," He whispers, "You worry too much. We will be able to do it. We still have my old robes in the attic that you can hem up and Bill can wear. As far as books go, there is a used book store next to 2nd Hand Brooms and I am sure there is a cauldron in the Junk Shop that you can fix up nicely. You do have a talent for fixing broken things."

Molly nodded, listening intently. "Your old robes will save us about two Galleons and the Junk Shop sells things for half the price of everywhere else does." She says, doing the math in her head.

"It does. Then go to Magical Menagerie. They sell most pets there and I remember mum used to get us a discount on them for next to nothing. Just tell the store front you are a Weasley, he will understand."

"I think he will be able to see that I am a Weasley." Molly says, forcing a smile as she thought about taking all seven red-headed kids in there and the trouble the twins would try to cause.

"Tell him anyway, he used to do favors for mum and then all you have to buy him is a scale and a wand new. He at least deserves a new wand."

Molly nodded her head in agreement as she got up and put Ginny in her crib and put the others to bed. She spent the rest of the night hemming up Arthur's old robes for Bill, making him stand in the kitchen on a chair as she worked away on the hemming.

The next morning as she got the kids ready and made them hot cakes as a special treat for breakfast, Molly made sure to warn the boys that they were to be on their best behavior. Using floo powder, she let the boys go in pairs, since they were so small, to Diagon Alley. First she sent Bill and Fred, watching as the green flame caused her boys to disappear, followed by Charlie and George. Ickle Ronniekins cried as she handed him over to Percy and he floo'ed out of the chimney, landing in Diagon Alley with the rest of the boys, her and Baby Ginny following directly behind.

"Now stay close." She whispered to them, making all the boys hold hands as they walked down the street, minus Ickle Ronniekins who Bill held while Molly held Baby Ginny close to her bosom. Percy kept a close eye on the twins, walking between the two of them as he held their hands and Charlie followed slowly behind the rear. As she walked past Twilfit and Tattings, Bill grabbed her arm, pointing at a slightly younger witch than his own mother, also holding a child of about a year who, instead of the bright red hair Ginny and the others carried, had blonde hair, nearly white. The woman, in Bill's opinion, was beautiful with soft white skin and the darkest brown eyes he had ever seen. She looked at Molly, walking with her army of children and stuck her nose up into the air.

"Why did she do that to us mum?" He asked, thinking the witch looked nice enough until she had stuck her nose up at them. "She seemed so pretty and kind."

Molly looked hurt as she looked down at her oldest son, trying to think of the best way to explain the Malfoy's hatred for her family and couldn't think of one. She wanted to tell him that some people, such as Narcissa and her sister Bellatrix, were just cruel. That they felt better making others feel worse, but it didn't seem quite the way to explain it to a child who was about to enter Hogwarts and see it for himself.

"She is your father's distant cousin." Molly told him, figuring the truth was best. "Married into money and now she believes that...she is a Malfoy." She said, as if that explained everything and to an adult wizard it would, but at Bill's young age it just made him more confused and the look on his face showed it. "She married a Malfoy. They believe that money is power." She said, readjusting Ginny in her arms. "They think that muggles are less than wizarding families, which isn't true. We are all smart in our own way. They also believe that muggles and wizarding families shouldn't interact, much less fall in love and get married."

"Is that true?" Bill asked, looking up at his mother.

Molly shrugged. "Muggles are very smart. They have accommodated to the fact that they don't have magic. As far as falling in love..." Molly let her sentence fade away, thinking about how her and Arthur had fallen in love. She was getting picked on by one of his cousins, a member of the Black family, in the library. They had the cookbook she was reading levitating just inches above where she could reach until Arthur walked in and mad them stop. The book dropped to the table with a thump as Molly cried over it.

"Why do they pick on me?" She asked as Arthur sat down next to her, wiping away her tears.

"Because they are cruel." He answered, "They don't need a reason. It makes them feel better to pick on others. What were you reading?" He asked, opening the book back up to the page she had marked. "Chocolate chip cookies?"

A younger Molly nodded softly. "Mum taught me that all a recipe is is a potion." She told him as he read the directions.

"Looks the same. Is this how muggles make it? What is an oven?"

"It's what muggles use to bake the cookies in, about like a fireplace I suppose." She answers before looking back up at the red-headed boy. He was handsome, in his own special way. His face was long, with dark brown eyes and as he looked at the book in concentration, a small wrinkle appeared on his forehead. She couldn't help but develop an instant crush on him, knowing he was the one she wanted to marry.

"I suppose.." Molly answered, looking back down at her oldest son. "That you can't help who you fall in love with, whether they be muggle, half-blood, or pure-blood. Whenever you know, you just know." She tells him as she leads the children into the Junk Shop.


	12. Meeting Scabbers and Seeing McGonagall

After walking around Diagon Alley for nearly an hour, Molly had almost everything that she needed. Mr. Ollivander was thrilled to see Molly Weasley again, giving Bill a wand very similar to her own first wand, which worked perfectly for him.

"Don't worry about the cost Molly," He had told her, handing the box over to Bill, Charlie and Percy looking over his shoulder as the three boys eyed the wand as if it were the coolest thing they had ever seen. Their eyes lit up as Bill raised his wand out of the box, holding it carefully in fear that he would cast a spell there in the over-filled shop.

"You should put it back," Percy whispers, his eyes glowing as if it were Christmas morning. "What if you do something mum can't fix?!"

"I'm not going to use it yet," Bill answers, holding the wand different ways to see what felt right.

"It looks amazing," Charlie coos, staring at the black glaze the new wand held. "You will be able to do anything now."

"Not anything yet," Bill says, holding it firmly. "I have to learn how to use it first."

"It will come naturally," Charlie answers, having confidence in his older brother.

"Are you sure?" Molly asks Mr. Ollivander as the boys circle around the wand. "I have enough."

"Ahhh," Mr. Ollivander answers, "but if I remember Molly Prewett, you married Arthur Weasley and by the looks of it, you two carried on with the Weasley tradition. Spoil the kids with the money you saved here. Take them to Sugarplum's, get them some Cauldron Cakes."

"Thank you," Molly answered, tears filling up in her eyes with appreciation. She could nearly hug the shop-keep but figured he would appreciate it more if she simply hurried up and got Fred and George out of the shop before they did anymore damage.

She did as Ollivander recommended and since it was so close to Percy's fifth birthday, only a few days later in fact, she figured she could splurge a little bit and took the boys into Sugarplum's Sweets Shop and let them pick out one treat a piece. The twins picked a box of Bernie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans. Percy grabbed himself a Pumpkin Pastry, his personal favorite and the cheapest candies that the store had to offer. Molly grabbed a Chocolate Frog for Ickle Ronniekins. Charlie grabbed a Cauldron Cake and Bill got some Jelly Slugs.

"It almoth seems cwuel." Charlie mentioned to Bill with his mouth full as they walked down towards Gringotts to get Molly some more galleons for the rest of Bill's school supplies. "Eating a Chocate Fog, I mean."

"They aren't real frogs," Bill reminded him, knowing where this conversation was going.

"Well, I know dat." He said, taking another bite of his Cauldron Cake. "But dink bout it, you aw biting off de frawg's head."

Bill laughed at the thought, looking over at Ickle Ronniekins who had the bottom half of the Chocolate Frog eaten while the frog looked around in despair, trying to push itself away from the almost 18 month old's mouth.

"Unless your Ronniekins." He laughed, pointing at the boy. "Then it's even more cruel."

"I jut can't elp but feel sowwy for the frawg." Charlie says, taking a final bite of his Cauldron Cake as Molly opens the door to Gringotts. "It just don't seem right."

Bill didn't even hear what Charlie said as the doors opened to Gringotts. Little men with pointed ears and long fingernails sat on either side of the entrance way, counting Sickles and Galleons on scales. The floors below them were marble with a chandelier above them and it seemed like the lights above these little men went on forever. He was in awe.

"Mum," He whispered, tugging on Molly's dress as she held Ginny in one arm and Ronniekins in the other. "What are those things?"

"They are goblins honey," Molly whispered back, not expecting Bill to know that. She had never gone to Diagon Alley with the children before. Never really had the need to. Just about anything she needed she had there at the Burrow and when she did go to Diagon Alley, Fabian and Gideon were always there to watch the boys until a nervous Molly returned home, thankful to see her house in one piece.

"What are they doing?" He asked, looking at all the money as the evil-looking 'goblins' glared back at him.

"They are counting the money," She whispered back, "Now be quiet for a second." She said as they faced a goblin in the front of the room.

Bill didn't hear what Molly said to the goblin and only nodded his head in a mesmerized spell as she told him to watch the others while she went and got some money out of their vault. He was too busy staring at the Galleons that one of the goblins was measuring. He couldn't help but focus on them.

"What are you staring at?" Charlie asked, looking up at the goblin in confusion.

"Wouldn't that be fun to do everyday?" Bill asked, "Imagine handling that much money, everyday. All day."

Charlie looked at him confused as he moved Ronniekins over from one hip to the other. "Not really," He answered, "besides, wouldn't you get bored. I thought you wanted to travel."

"I do, but this...this would be fun too. What if I could do both?"

"You want to travel while counting money?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever." He answered, not wanting to put down his brother's dreams but the thought sounded more like rubbish than anything to him. It seemed nearly impossible to do both at the same time, much less do it for a living.

"Come along children." Molly said, grabbing Ginny and Ronniekins back from Charlie and Percy and quickly led the boys out of Gringotts like a family of ducklings following their mother. "It is time to get Bill his pet for Hogwarts."

Bill and Charlie looked at each other with a grin. They had been talking about what Bill was going to get for months now and Bill had finally decided that IF their mum had the money for it, he would like a cat but Bill wasn't one to be picky about what kind of animal he got and decided that even if it was an ugly toad at least he would have something to go to Hogwarts with him so he wouldn't be alone.

Molly did as Arthur had told her, leading the boys into Magical Menagerie to look at the animals. They seemed to have everything from owls to snails to rats but Molly couldn't find a single cat left in the store.

"Ahhhh," The shop keep, an older man in probably his late fifties, said stepping up the the counter from the back as he heard the tiny bell above the door chime. "I thought I'd be seeing you in here today Mrs. Weasley."

"But..." Molly answered, shocked that the man knew her name as she pointed to herself in confusion. "How...how did you know?"

"It's easy to tell a Weasley mother when I see one." He laughed as Fred and George ran over to an owl's cage, poking their fingers through the bars while Percy yelled at them to stop. "About the time one Weasley wife gets all of her kids done with Hogwarts, her oldest boy is having kids to put back in again." The man said with a chuckled laugh, his belly jiggling as he did so. "Besides, the red hair gives away each and every one of you Weasley wives and if that don't, then the children do." He said, chuckling again to himself. "I offer all my Weasley wives a special discount," he continues, "What is it that you are looking for?"

"Well," Molly answers, looking around the store. "He was wanting a cat but-"

"Nope," The shop-keep answers, "Just sold my last cat yesterday. Mind my asking, how much is it you have to spend?"

Molly hands Ginny over to Charlie as him and Bill stand, lingering on every word that was said, and gently sets Ickle Ronniekins down to run free. He quickly runs over to Fred and George to harass the owl as Molly looks into her coin purse, blushing with shame as she sees she only has one Galleon and two Sickles, including what she took out of Gringotts.

"Well," She answered, not wanting to talk money in front of Bill and Charlie. "What is the cheapest pet you have?"

"Ahhh," He answers, winking at Molly before stepping back into the back room and hollering up front. "I understand Missy, I really do. Tough times we live in, what with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and all. Either you're a Death Eater or you're poor. Can hardly keep my own door open anymore." He confesses. "This here, this is Scabbers." The store-keep says, holding up a cage with a grey rat in it. "I can't seem to get rid of him."

"Why not?" Molly asked as Bill quickly grabbed the cage, him and Charlie looking at the rat. The boys had completely forgotten Bill's desire for a cat as they stared at the terrified rat in the cage. Suddenly, the twins ran up to the cage to look at the rat as well, Percy taking Ickle Ronniekins hand and telling them not to stick their fingers in the cage.

"Well," The shop-keep answers honestly. "To be quite truthful, everyone is after the black rats right now. This one's grey color isn't going to get him sold at all, but" He shrugs with the thought. "I went down to Hog's Head last week for a butterbeer and the bartender, a woman that night, started raising all kinds of cane, saying there was a rat behind her bar, so I went back there and grabbed 'em. Figured I could sell the varmint for something but it seems nobody wants a grey rat. He's missing himself a toe too, right there on his front paw."

Molly looked down at the rat with disgust. "I don't know," She answered, "Not with the babies."

The boys looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Please mum?" Bill asked, causing Charlie to pipe in too.

"Please?"

"Please?"

"Please?"

Suddenly, the twins seeing this as their time to start a riot, start to holler as well.

"RAT! RAT! RAT! RAT!" They scream out in unison as Percy yells at them to stop.

"Please?"

"Please?"

"RAT! RAT!"

"Be quiet you two!"

"RAT! RAT!"

"Please mum?"

"Please?"

"I'll tell you what miss." The store-keep says, smiling down at the boys. "I don't need the rat this bad. He is well-behaved, hasn't bitten anyone. Don't make much noise or try to escape. I'll give him to you for free. Just to make your boys happy."

"Well, you don't have to." Molly answers, really not wanting to take the disgusting looking rat home with her.  
"I insist." He answers, "Consider it my gift to your boy, for entering into Hogwarts." He says, winking at Bill who smiles back.

"Thank you," Molly answers, before leading the boys out into the road and back to a chimney to floo back home. They return home in the same pattern they arrived in. Bill and Fred first, followed by Charlie and George. Then Percy and Ickle Ronniekins, and finally Molly and Ginny. Molly doesn't notice the awkward silence in the room at first, dusting herself off.

"Why is everyone so-" Molly starts before looking up. The boys were staring in fear at the white haired woman standing in their living room. "Minerva?" Molly asked, remembering her as her professor from when she was in Hogwarts.

"Molly," Professor McGonagall answers, "I think you should send the children upstairs. We need to talk."

"But-" Molly said quietly, wondering what could have possibly happened. The first thought that came to her mind was that Arthur was injured. That he was dead. Something had happened and she had lost him. At work or on the way home. "What happened?" She asked, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Just send the kids upstairs." McGonagall answers, her face grave. "I think we need to be alone for this."

"May I..." Molly felt her throat constricting, trying to remember the last thing she had said to Arthur. Was it 'I love you'? Or 'be careful'? Probably not, it was probably something about taking the boys to Diagon Alley. "May I ask what this is about?" She asked softly.

"Please," McGonagall answered, "Take the boys upstairs. Put them in their rooms. It's...It's Fabian and Gideon, Molly."


	13. Left With A Lovegood

**A/N: Wanted to apologize to everyone for that last chapter. I realize now, after being informed, that I was wrong on Minerva McGonagall's hair. I was looking at an older picture of her (DH era, which was way off in time frame) when I wrote the chapter. Also, I realize that Lily and James didn't die until 10-31-81 BUT I needed a proper time to present Bill with Scabbers and let's face it...No one wants a rat for Christmas. LOL. Sorry for the mistype on those. Other than that, keep the reviews coming, I love hearing from you guys. **

Molly looked at Minerva, her eyes filled with tears and her tissue soaked as she wiped her eyes dry once again. She couldn't believe it. Her brothers. Her only brothers. Dead. Somewhere in her mind as their younger sister, she had always imagined the twins to be invincible. Maybe it was how they had always been able to laugh off the most serious of situations. How they had told her, even in situations as serious as joining the Order that if they died, they wanted it to be as heroes and they had said so with a smile on their faces, like they didn't even believe it to be true.

"What happened?" Molly asked when she finally gathered the courage and strength to ask about it.

"They were trying to find Voldermort," Minerva answered gravely. She had come accustomed to Fabian and Gideon's playful attitudes, always helping them feel as if the fight were still worth fighting over. That there was still some happiness in the world and even McGonagall had been grieving herself over their loss. "They had received a lead from someone stating that he was hiding in Canterbury. They followed the lead." She answered before wiping her own eyes with a sniffle of the nose. "We...we told them not to go but...but they insisted." The tears were falling freely now from McGonagall's eyes as she went on. "According to Alastor, who went with them...the Death Eaters were already waiting for them when they apparated there. Six of them. They...there was other damage as well." Minerva whispers, looking down at her lap.

Molly had to wipe away her own tears, thinking of her brothers who always tried to be the heroes. "What kind of other damage?" She asked calmly. Arthur was in the Order. He had fought alongside Fabian and Gideon maybe a handful of times, but Molly always made sure to remind him that they had a young family at home, Fabian and Gideon did not, causing Arthur to usually make sure that he was home in time to tuck each and every one of his children into bed.

"Caradoc Dearborn is gone, disappeared." Minerva answered, the tears flowing freely again. "And...and Benjy...They didn't just murder him, they destroyed him." She says, her hands now shaking at the thought.

"Benjy Fenwick?" Molly asked, her face now white. "But Benjy went to school with us? His wife was the healer who helped me deliver George and Fred!" She whispered, her stomach suddenly feeling very heavy. She had known Benjy, sat alongside him in class. His wife was very friendly to her whenever it all boiled down to the surprise of having twins. "That's..."

Suddenly, it hit Molly harder than she ever imagined possible. Screaming out, she put her head in her hands and cried. She howled as she thought about all the memories she had shared with her brothers, all the memories they would never again share. She tried to imagine a Christmas without them doing something dangerous to the tree just to get Fred and George to laugh or a family get-together for dinner where they wouldn't poke fun at Percy for acting like a squib "because he was just too much of a stick in the mud to have any magic in his blood." She didn't know how to deal with not hearing a random loud pop behind her, one of her brother's faces grinning instantly on either side of her as she jumped. She cried at the thought of never seeing their smiles again, of never hearing them say such things as "and you call yourself our sister, can't even tell us apart", and never having to hear how Charlie and Bill bragged about their fireworks.

Minerva walked over, sitting next to Molly on the couch and held her as she cried. "I will get ahold of Arthur," She whispered, rubbing Molly's back. "Maybe he can come home early."

The next few days were hectic. A funeral was arranged for the twins in a secret location that only a select few members of the Order and the Prewett family knew about. Molly, being the only sibling of Fabian and Gideon was the Secret-Keeper of the location, despite her personal preference not to be. She notified the kids of what was going on, only Bill and Charlie being old enough to join them and Molly and Arthur sent the other children over to the only other person who they knew they could trust to watch the children safely.

"Do we have to go?" Fred asked, tugging on the skirt of Molly's long black mourning dress. The dress had long sleeves and appeared to frill out just below her bosom, covering the pudgy stomach she still carried from being pregnant with Ginny. It frilled down to her ankles, giving the twins both a place to hide as they looked ahead at the black-colored building in front of them that seemed to resemble a giant rock.

"Yea, they awen't nowmal." George answers, staying well-hidden behind Molly's skirt.

"They may not be normal," Molly answers firmly, "but right now they are the only ones we have to watch you hoodlums so that you don't get into mischief."

"Pewcy can watch us!" The twins answer in unison, neither one wanting to go into the building.

"I know you two." Molly answers, "If I have Percy watch you, he will be hiding in a closet by the end of it. Besides," Molly says, taking a big gulp as even she feared for her sons in this one. "The Lovegoods are nearly normal."

"Neawly." The twins answer again in unison as Molly switches Ginny from one hip to the other and lightly knocks on the door.

Percy held Ronniekins' hand behind her, walking him along from the Weasley house to the Lovegood house, even the look on his face being one of unsatisfactory.

"Come in," A sweet yet distant voice called out, calling Molly to open the door. The twins looked around in awe as they stayed hidden behind Molly's dress. The kitchen of this house was small, even smaller than the Burrow and instead of having the stairwell surrounding bedrooms, as theirs had, it sat directly in the middle of the kitchen. The rest of the room seemed to revolve around the stairwell, the table being on one side with the sink and oven opposite in the room. A bookcase sat along one of the walls, covered with vials and bottles of different ingredients and potions books. There was also a high chair at the table, a distant-looking little girl about the same age as Ginny sitting in it staring at the children entering the room oddly as she tilted her head and coo'ed. The twins finally saw their babysitter, a woman only a little bit younger than Molly with long straight blonde hair and distant blue eyes bent over a cauldron, stirring it quickly.

"Did I interrupt anything?" Molly asks, looking at the cauldron as it started to overflow with a bright green smoke.

"No," Mrs. Lovegood answered, "Nothing at all. I was simply trying to find a way to block Wrackspurts from entering the brain."

"Mummy," Fred cried out, pulling Molly's skirt again.

"We don't want wrapskirts in our brains." George continued, pulling on the back of Molly's dress.

"Then I suggest you both behave." She said boldly, kissing both twins on the forehead before handing Ginny over to Mrs. Lovegood, who walked away from the cauldron and took the baby happily.

"She is almost as precious as my Luna." The woman said proudly holding baby Ginny close as Ginny quickly warmed up to her, yawning a heavy yawn as she lay her head on the woman's bosom. Molly smiled, feeling better about the situation as she went over and kissed Percy and Ickle Ronniekins on the forehead.

"I will be back in about an hour to pick them up." Molly whispered softly, a faint hint of sorrow in her voice. "Percy make sure they behave." She told the oldest boy of the group who nodded his head with pride, thankful to finally be in charge.

"Yes ma'am."


	14. Bill's Trip to Hogwarts

As the door shut, the twins looked at each other with fear. At their young age of three, their mother had never left them with anyone other than their uncle Fab and Gid and this woman appeared strange...really strange.

Ickle Ronniekins eyed the infant girl sitting in the highchair strangely. She seemed oblivious to all the small things Ronniekins was noticing. The smoke overflowing the cauldron, the odd way that the home smelt. The infant instead just stared straight ahead, her eyes having a look of constant shock. Ronniekins couldn't help but raise a single eyebrow, confused by the behavior.

Percy, not nearly as concerned as his other brothers with the room they were in, was more worried about making sure that he was a good boy. So, despite the fact that he disagreed with his parents' choice of caretakers, he knew it was his job to be a well-behaved child and sat down quietly at the table while Mrs. Lovegood laid Ginny down in the crib in the corner of the kitchen.

The twins stood there, scared to touch anything. Here they couldn't get into the trouble they got into at the Burrow. Who knew what odd things were in the vials and jars behind Mrs. Lovegood. Things that may make the house explode, which sounded like a good idea to them, but there may also be things that could kill them in the process, make them explode and these things they were scared to touch. So instead, for the first and only time in their lives, they decided to side with Percy and both sat quietly at the table, staring at the cauldron in front of them.

By the time Molly got back from the funeral, it was already dark. Covering herself in a black cloak to protect herself from the cool August air on the last night of the month, she waited in front of the Lovegood door and listened. She waited for the sounds of an explosion from the twins, the distant cry of her youngest son begging once more to be held, or the scolding of Percy, telling the others not to do something they were determined to do. Instead, she just heard a silence that pained the mother's heart. Those noises were a familiar comfort to her, a reminder of how far her and Arthur had come from their one bedroom Burrow where she cried the first day there to the home they had built upward with the help of the Lovegoods, the Fawcetts, and Arthur's dear friend Amos Diggory who had a son only a year older than the twins. The sound of her children playing reminded her of what fighting the war was about, it was about keeping your family safe because if the Dark Lord won, if he got his way, all of the Weasley family would be tortured or dead for being blood-traitors, including Ickle Ronniekins and Ginny. Age didn't matter to the Dark Lord.

Softly, sorrow still in her eyes for not hearing the familiar laughter of her children, Molly knocked on the door of the Lovegood house. She heard a slight pitter patter of feet, almost dancing across the kitchen floor as Mrs. Lovegood opened the door.

"Welcome back Molly," The woman said, as if Molly were only coming over for a glass of tea. "Was wondering when you would return. Hope everything went pleasant."

"As pleasant as a funeral can go, I suppose." Molly answered, looking around the room. She didn't see a single thing broken, a single vial smashed on the floor or a single spot of black ash left over from a burn. This wasn't right, her twins couldn't be here. "Where...where are my babies?"

"Oh yes," Mrs. Lovegood said with a laugh, the sound making Molly think she had almost forgotten that the kids were even there. "This way." Slowly, she led Molly up the spiral stairs in the center of the kitchen, going round and round until they got to a room on the upstairs floor with a bright pink door. "This is my Luna's room." The woman confided in Molly, "I spent extra time making sure no Wrackspurts would enter the room. Silly things really, get right into your head and confuse the begeezus out of you." She laughed to herself at the thought before opening the door to expose an even brighter pink room with strings hanging from the ceiling. On the other end of the strings held little copper-colored coins. Coins that appeared to have a head on one side of them and a building on the other. She was very confused, as there had to have been at least fifty of these coins hanging at random lengths from the ceiling. The room also contained the same childhood toys her boys had played with. The hand-me-downs that Ginny now owned, but all of baby Luna's were new. A stuffed snitch and a plastic dragon. She saw the same mini-broom stick as the one she had bought for Charlie and Bill hanging on the wall in the room and a crib in the corner. The entire room looked like an average nursery, minus the copper coins.

Then Molly looked down at the floor, seeing her four boys laying on blankets sleeping. She saw a hint of red hair in the crib, telling her that was where Ginny slept as well. "What did you do?" Molly asked curiously, "My boys never sleep like this." She looked back up at the coins dangling from the ceiling. "What do those do? Put a sleeping enchantment on them?"

Mrs. Lovegood looked at her confused for a moment before shaking her head. "Oh no," She answers with a laugh. "They are an American Muggle item. Xeno got them from someone else working with him in the Quibbler when they went on a Nargle hunt in America. Pennies, he called them. They are to keep the Wrackspurts away."

Molly nodded her head softly. "How did you get the boys to sleep then?" She asked, still confused.

Mrs. Lovegood shrugged her shoulders, "Didn't hear a peep out of any of them their entire stay here." She answered, "They are delightful boys really."

Molly knew better than to ask any questions as she gathered the children up, apparating them one by one back to the Burrow.

The next morning was hectic as Molly rushed around with the children, trying to get them all dressed and ready for their first trip to King's Cross Station. Arthur woke up a few minutes later, his hair still a mess from the sleepless night the night before. The Ministry had given him the day off courteously, saying he deserved to go see his oldest son off to Hogwarts. Quietly, Arthur poured some milk over his hot cereal as the twins ran aimlessly, both still in their pajamas and Ginny cried from her bassinet.

"Charlie, are you dressed!?" Molly hollered up the stairs, already knowing the answer. "Bill, put Scabbers back in his cage. You only have half your books packed. Percy, please dress Ronniekins for me." She said as she walked through the room, the clothes for George and Fred in her hands. "Arthur," She said, looking at her husband who was still half-asleep at the table. "Dress Ginny, put her in one of her orange dresses. It goes so nice with her hair."

Fred and George, seeing the clothes in Molly's hands quickly tried to run in the opposite direction but were seconds too late as they ran for the door, it quickly shutting in front of them with a flick of their mother's wand. "I think not." She answered, picking Fred up first and dressing him right there at the table.

"Mum no!" Fred hollered out painfully as Molly quickly put the red sweater over the boy's head. He fought against her as she pulled his pants up around his waist and screamed loudly as she put on his socks and shoes.

After setting Fred down, it took Molly a moment to find George back who was trying to sneak up behind Percy to scare him. Quickly she grabbed him up as well, repeating the same routine with him, George's screams sounding horrifying as Molly dressed him.

"Come on," Molly said hastily as she gathered the children back up. "If Bill isn't there by eleven, he will be missing the train and we don't want that." They all stood in front of the chimney as Molly repeated the same usual tradition that they carried with the floo powder. Bill went first with Fred, George and Charlie, Percy got to go by himself this time, and Molly and Arthur held Ronniekins and Ginny.

They flooed to a local relatives house, leaving the home quickly and walked over to King's Cross Station, the muggles around them looking at them oddly.

"I wish they wouldn't stare like they do," Molly whispers to Arthur, pulling Ronniekins closer to her.

"Even for muggles, seven kids is a bit much anymore." Arthur answers, touching his wife softly on the arm to comfort her. "That is all. They really are genius though."

The kids stopped in their tracks in front of Molly and Arthur as they entered King's Cross Station. Their mouths dropped open as they stared, Fred and George amazed by the stone pillars as Percy and Charlie looked up at the glass roof, the early morning sky light softly shining through. None of this mattered to Bill though as he looked straight ahead at the black beast in front of them. It shined beautifully as the muggles climbed aboard, the whistle blowing loudly as the conductor checked tickets. He couldn't hold back the smile that started at his temples and worked it's way up until he was smiling ear to ear.

"Mum," He whispered softly, "Is that the train I will be getting on?"

"No dear," Molly answered, rushing the boys along as she continuously checked the numbers on each pillar. "Your train is at Station 9 3/4."

Bill looked ahead, following the numbers. 7, 8, 9. His eyes filled with disappointment as he looked up at the number in black on the plain white board. 10.

"Mum," He said, his eyes already filling up with tears. "There is no 9 3/4. They got rid of it. I can't go to Hogwarts."

"They didn't get rid of it." Arthur answered, putting a hand on his young son's shoulder. "Look there, what do you see?" He asked, pointing at the bricks.

"A wall." Bill replied confused.

"Run into it." Arthur told him, pushing the boy forward.

"What?!" Bill asked confused.

"Just do it." Molly answered with a smile, handing Bill his cart that held Scabbers' cage and his books and trunk. "You will come out the other side and see where you board the train."

Bill nodded, taking a deep breath. His parents had never steered him wrong before and they weren't like Fred and George who would say it just for a laugh. Quickly he ran for the wall, seeing Fred point and George snicker out of the corner of his eye, waiting for him to plummet into the wall. Their eyes grew wide as Bill disappeared into the wall.

"Me next! Me next!" Charlie pleaded, excited at the thought.

"Okay," Molly answered with a smile as Charlie ran forward, going through the wall, followed shortly behind by Percy, Fred and George. "I can't believe it," Molly then whispered to Arthur, holding Ickle Ronniekins in her arms. "Our boys are growing up so fast."

"They will be fine Molly-Wobbles." Arthur answered, seeing the tears already starting to form in his wife's eyes as he called her by the pet name he had made up for her during their time at Hogwarts. "I promise, we knew this day would come."

"I'm just not ready to let them out of my sight." She confided to Arthur. "Not with the war going on. What if something happens?"

"Dumbledore will keep them safe." Arthur whispers back, wrapping his arm around his wife as they walk through the wall. "I trust him."

"I do too." Molly answers as they appear on the other side, the boys all standing there waiting for them, wondering what to do next.

"Is that the train?" Percy asks, staring at it. "Is that the one Bill is going to go on?"

Molly nodded softly, staring up at the black and red train in front of them. The sight was comforting, almost like a letter from an old friend. Looking at it, Molly could still remember her first day on the train. The smell of the tea trolley, the vibrations of the train running down the tracks and the familiar sound of other excited and nervous first-years. "This is for you Bill." She said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a bag of sandwiches. "A snack for the ride." With that, she kissed him softly on the head as the last whistle blew on the train.

Bill looked at the train curiously then turned around to see the envy in his brothers' eyes. They all couldn't wait for their big day, their first trip to Hogwarts and wondered what it may be like. Who would they meet? What would Quidditch be like actually playing on a team? What would they learn?

"Hurry along now," Molly told him. "Don't want to miss the train." Arthur hugged his son proudly, whispering into his ear that he was proud of him before Bill stepped foot on the train, Scabbers in his cage and held close to Bill's chest.

"And don't forget to write!" Molly reminded him as tears welled up in her eyes once again. Arthur quickly wrapped his free arm around Molly, holding Ginny in the other one, and kissed her hair as she dotted her eyes with her handkerchief.

"I can't wait." Charlie whispered softly to Percy, standing behind Molly. "Take Care of Magical Creatures, play Quidditch."

"Be Head Boy," Percy answers dreamily, staring at Bill on the train as he waved vigorously out the window.

"Whomping Willow." The twins answered, where no one could hear them, smirking at each other as they thought about the mischief they could cause.

Ickle Ronniekins gazed at the black train from Molly's arms, feeling her shake as she fought to hold back the tears. "Twain?" He asked softly, gazing up into his mother's eyes as Bill drifted off into the distance. "Bill twain?"

"Yes," Molly said, pulling Ronniekins closer. "Bill went on the train."


	15. A Boring Morning Turned Blissful

Two months later, Molly couldn't help but be worried about her oldest son as she set the blueberry hotcakes down on the table for the kids to eat. Ronniekins was now almost two years old and was finally beginning to speak coherent sentences, minus times like now when he was too busy stuffing his face with food.

"Mwore Pees." The young toddler said, his red hair still a mess from the previous night's sleep and his mouth full of half-chewed food as he spoke, gazing up at his mother with his shining blue eyes. Quickly, Molly put another hotcake on his plate, which he continued to engulf like the last.

Fred and George, on the other hand, sat down at the other end of the table, still half-asleep from the night before where they had stayed up plotting their next big adventure until the wee hours of the morning, causing them to only get a few hours of sleep. Fred sat there, his cheek falling deeper and deeper into his hand as he stared at his hotcakes while George curled up in a ball in his own chair, begging sleep to return to him. Neither boy spoke a word as they stayed withdrawn from the rest of the family, trying to drift back into a blissful wonderland where they could prank anyone and get away with it happily, minus the yelling from Mum.

Percy was nose-deep in a book as he quickly took a bite of his own breakfast and turned the page to continue reading. He knew there was only one way he was going to become Head Boy, to work in the Ministry and that was to study his hardest, even if he still had six years to go.

Arthur, it not yet being time for him to go off to work, sat there and fed little three-month-old Ginny oatmeal as Molly made her rounds around the table, waking Fred and George up whenever she could and smiling happily at Percy, proud that her son was so concerned with his schoolwork.

"If you sleep all day, you're going to be up all night again." Molly said sternly, shaking George back awake which got Fred to jump up quickly, his eyes red and bloodshot.

The rest of the family was too busy doing their own things, too busy to even notice, didn't see as Charlie sat down in his usual seat in front of the sink and stared out the window. His eyes had dark circles underneath them from the sleepless nights he would lay there, wondering about Bill. His hair was a mess, going in a half-dozen different directions and his clothes were a mess. Molly thought nothing of this, being that it was early in the morning she figured Charlie was just as tired as Fred and George but truth was, it wasn't the same not having his older brother there in the bedroom to keep him company. To laugh and joke with him about werewolves and vampires and all the other mystical beings there were out there. He couldn't sleep wondering if Bill was safe or what spells he had learnt. What magical creatures he had seen. So instead, Charlie did as he did every morning, staring out the window as he waited patiently for an owl.

Suddenly Charlie stood up, his chair falling back against the floor causing Molly to jump and the twins to wake up instantly, their eyes wide, as Charlie rubbed his own eyes. He almost didn't believe it. It didn't seem possible but in the distance, there it was. A dark dot in the sky flew closer and closer to the Burrow until Charlie could finally make out the outline of the unknown object flying towards him. It had wings, flapping wings and had something attached to it's foot. Bursting out the door, Charlie couldn't help but holler behind him.

"It's an owl! Bill sent an owl!" He hollered happily, his smile spreading cheek to cheek as he laughed, jumping up and down. Molly followed quickly behind him, drying her hands with a smile on her face as well as Charlie jumped for joy in the back yard. The owl landed, a single letter to Bill in one claw and the Daily Prophet in the other. Molly quickly handed a cracker to the owl as Charlie tore open the letter, his eyes skimming over his brother's handwriting as his smile grew bigger and bigger before he ran inside. "I got it!" He hollered at the table, causing everyone else to stand up as Molly closed the door behind him, the Daily Prophet in her hand, and Charlie began to read it aloud.

"October 31st, 1982. Charlie, Sorry it took me so long to write, but it has been really strange here with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and all. The teachers are really on edge and security has been tight but I have plenty of news to share. First, I got sorted into Gryffindor, just like Mum and Dad, so make sure to tell them the good news." As Charlie read the words, Arthur wrapped his arm around Molly with a proud smile. "I was excited when they said Gryffindor because the hat said it was for the "brave" and I don't see myself being all THAT brave, but if it says so. Yea, that was weird. There is a talking hat that they put on everyone's heads and the hat said what House you belong too. Also, tell mum I have been doing good at Potions so the cooking has helped. My teacher is Professor Snape though and he seems kind of...like how we imagined vampires. His voice is cold and hard and he never smiles. Also, tell Percy that he can't be a head boy until year seven, but he can be a prefect in year five which may lead him up to head boy, he will like that." Percy nodded at the words, absorbing every word Charlie spoke. "I can't take Care of Magical Creatures yet, which I know will bum you out, but I get to starting my third year. That will be your first year here, so I will tell you everything I learn and you can hear all about the Creatures. Well, I have to go, it's time to head down to the Hallowe'en Feast where we get to eat all kinds of things in the Great Hall. Love, Bill. P.S. Tell the twins there is a ghost here named Peeves that I am sure they will love to get to know."

Charlie slowly put down the letter, happy to hear all the good news about Hogwarts. Molly softly wiped a tear from her eye as she smiled with pride.

"Well then," She said, trying to sound chipper. "I think you should write him back after breakfast Charlie. You may get one more letter out of him before he returns home for Christmas." Arthur nodded before looking down at the Daily Prophet and picking it up. He couldn't help but notice the front page headlines as a picture of a boy, about the age of Ronniekins sat on the front page wearing a pair of circular glasses and a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead. It grabbed Arthur's attention. The boy looked an awful lot like someone he knew from the Order. A John...Joseph...No, James Potter that had been one of the younger members.

As he looked at the article, his eyes went cold. The paper dropped out of his hands to the table, catching Molly's attention and distracting her from the joy of the letter home from her oldest son.

**Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived**

**17 Month Old Child Survives Unforgivable Curse  
**

"Oh dear," Molly whispered, putting her hand up to her mouth. "He isn't much younger than-"

"Ronniekins, I know." Arthur answered, reading the article quickly, his eyes skimming over the words. "Remember me talking about that young couple in the Order? The two that seemed so madly in love?"

Molly nodded her head. "You said they reminded you of us. Potters, wasn't it?" She asked, looking at him.

Arthur nodded back in return, looking down gravely at the paper. "That was the couple. It says here they were murdered by-" He stopped, causing Molly to look at him concerned. "Oh dear," He whispered, "The one who killed them was that Black boy. The only one who joined. He was...him and James seemed to always do things together."

Molly softly wrapped her arm around her husband, knowing this had to be hard on him, knowing the couple through the Order. Knowing that one of his own cousins, even if he was a distant one, had been the one to kill them. A friend of the couple. "Is there no one we can trust anymore?" She whispered softly.

"Don't seem like it." Arthur answered, sitting back down at the table and folding open the paper to reveal another rather interesting article.

**He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Dead**

"Guess that takes care of the Order too." Arthur says, putting down the paper. "The war is over."

"What?!" Molly, Percy, and Charlie asked in unison, looking up at the man who had just read the paper.

"Daily Prophet says he's dead." Arthur answers, a smile starting to spread across his face. "The War is over, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gone."

In all her excitement of the sudden fantastic news, Molly quickly pressed her lips against Arthur's before pulling away, her face turning red with blush. She couldn't help feeling sorry for the young boy in the paper but with that evil wizard gone, maybe the Death Eaters would come to a halt too. "That's amazing," She said with a laugh, "All the good news today."

With that, Molly returned to seeing if anybody wanted seconds while Percy went back to his book and the twins tried to drift back to sleep. Ronniekins went back to eating his hotcakes, like any other morning and Arthur put another spoonful of oats in Ginny's waiting open mouth. Charlie was the only one who did anything different, running into the living room and grabbing a piece of parchment paper, he quickly started to write in his own sloppy handwriting.

_Bill,_

_That is great. Tell me more about Hogwarts...  
_


	16. Christmas Eve

**A/N: Want to apologize for the errors in the last chapter of the story. I had the year wrong in it, it was 1981. Bill started school in 1981 and it was the school years of 1982-1989 but since it said 1982 I did what no author should and assumed. My apologies. **

Molly hummed along to Celestina Warbeck on her the wooden wireless set that Arthur had gotten her the previous year for Christmas as she spun her wand around the room, pointing at various corners of the living room and the strings of lights following shortly behind where she had just pointed.

"Oh, come and stir my cauldron, and if you stir it right." She sang along happily as the last of the lights went into their proper place. "I'll boil you some hot strong love to keep you warm tonight." It was one of her favorite songs, one she had danced with Arthur to when they were only eighteen. They had accidentally gotten caught under some mistletoe mid-dance during the song. She could still remember the way that his lips felt against hers as they had to kiss in front of everyone at the Christmas Party they were attending, causing Molly's cheeks to turn a bright crimson red. "Lumos." She said, now satisfied with how the lights looked around the room as they lit up, causing the entire living room to glow in bright greens, reds, and blues. "Your father did brilliant in bringing these home Ginny," Molly said satisfied to the 4 month old girl who was attempting to keep her balance enough to sit on the floor there in front of Molly.

"Mum! Mum!" Fred and George hollered in unison. "Look what we found!" Each boy holding an arm and a leg, the twins held up a garden gnome who looked too terrified to even speak. "Can we stupefy him and put him on the tree?" The boys' vocabulary had built up greatly over the fall months that Bill was gone. Both of them eager to learn as much as they could now about Hogwarts and the Shrieking Shack, Molly took it as an advantage and told them they wouldn't be allowed to go to Hogwarts without being able to talk properly first. In her opinion, at nearly four years old, it was about time they started talking in full sentences anyway.

"We can't put a garden gnome on a tree." Molly answered, staring at the poor gnome whose face was still covered in fear. Molly couldn't help but wonder if it was the same one who Charlie and Bill had fought over years ago. She didn't even know if garden gnomes lived that long.

"But he'll be perfect." Fred said with a smile as George nodded his head quickly.

"Like an angel." George piped in, now excited at the thought.

"We don't have an angel." Fred answered, playing off of his brother's idea.

"Fine," Molly answered, pointing her wand at the gnome. "Stupefy."

The twins quickly ran off with the gnome to their room to get their paints. They were going to doll it up to make sure it looked like a proper angel. Maybe...just maybe...their mum would let them make a tradition out of this.

Ron wasn't too far behind them, walking up to Molly at a now twenty-one months old. "Mum. Mum." He said happily, showing her his food covered face from the chocolate pudding she had given him with dessert for lunch.

"My Ickle Ronniekins." Molly answered, picking Ron up and carrying him back into the kitchen with her. Quickly, she checked on the turkey she had cooking for Christmas Dinner the following day as she heard her older sons laughing upstairs and couldn't help but smile.

"Tell me all about it?!" Charlie demanded, sitting cross-legged on his bed as he sat across from Bill, Percy and the twins both sitting on the floor below them.

"It's great." Bill starts, a grin on his face. "The stairs move on their own," He said, causing the twins' eyes to go big with shock. "and you have to remember a password everyday to get into the Common Room."

"What if you forget it?" Percy asked nervously.

"It's easy to remember normally. Things like Pig Snout and Tapeworm but if you forget them, the Fat Lady won't let you in. You have to-"

"The Fat Lady?" The twins ask in unison, confused.

"Yea, she's a talking painting. You have to tell her the password in order to get through the door to get in the Common Room." Bill answers, as if it were obvious.

"What's the Common Room like?" Charlie asked, laying on his stomach so he could be a little bit closer and hear better what Bill had to say.

"Bloody fantastic." Bill answers, causing Percy to gasp at his language but feel torn between going and telling on Bill and staying to hear more. "There are large fluffy couches and the walls and everything are red and gold. Everything is red and gold, actually." He said with a smile. "Those are our colors for Gryffindor, red and gold. We are the lions, brave at heart." He said with pride, holding his head high. "Nothing like those Slytherins.

"What are they like?" Percy asked, now curious.

"They are sneaky and traitorous." Bill answered, his voice now sounding scary to the younger boys, already setting a fear in their minds of what Slytherins were like. "And they are rude. Even the Sorting Hat called them 'cunning'. They do whatever they have to in order to get what they want. Right before we left, they hung another first-year by a chandelier."

The twins looked at each other before grinning. As Bill had explained the Slytherin house, they almost sounded like a new set of victims for the twins' pranks. Someone less...obvious than Percy.

"What about the Whomping Willow?" George asks, piping in to the conversation himself.

"Is it really as dangerous as they say?" Fred asks, looking over at his twin brother.

"Worse," Bill answers, his eyes already wide with fear. "It attacks birds flying through the air and I guess it eats them because all you see are feathers whenever the tree is done with it."

At the sound of that, Charlie's face went white. "And you don't try to stop it? It's killing them."

"You try stopping a tree fifty times your size and see where it gets you." Bill answers, causing Percy and the twins to laugh in response.

Meanwhile, a few floors down Molly heard the boys laugh again as she sat in her and Arthur's room, wrapping Percy's sweater for the next morning and couldn't help but smile as her house, now once again full of laughter, finally felt complete.


	17. Malfoy's Innocence

**A/N: My deepest apologies readers. I had to go back and reread some bits of CoS in order to make sure I had a tidbit of information that I wanted to add into this story correct and was having a hard time finding my book on it. But, with a lot of work, I managed to find the bit of information I wanted to piece the story together. I realize that this chapter doesn't have as many Weasley Children experiences and tribulations as most of my chapters do, but sometimes parents have to talk behind closed doors too and I felt this was important to include. Please Read and Review. I love hearing what you all have to say.**

As Christmas came to an end Molly and Arthur saw Bill off to Hogwarts again, Charlie counting down the months until he returned home once more for the summer. He knew he couldn't be upset over the fact that Bill was at Hogwarts, he too would be going in a year and a half, but it just wasn't the same without his best friend and older brother there at the Burrow too.

As January, February, and March of 1982 came and went without anything exciting occurring there at the home of the Weasleys, minus Ickle Ronniekin's second birthday where he ate more cake than he probably should have and then spent the entire afternoon crying of a tummy ache.

It wasn't until May that Molly collapsed into bed next to her husband after a long day of dealing with Fred and George, who were now five and worse than ever at their tricks and schemes, Percy telling on everyone else every chance he got, the random animals traveling through the kitchen from Charlie, Ginny's attempts at talking, filling the room with babbles, and Ronniekin's constant begging for attention.

"How was your day?" Arthur asked Molly, brushing her hair out of her face as he kissed her lightly.

"Hectic," Molly answered, "But Ginny is finally starting to talk. She finally got a word out today."

"Really? That's great!" Arthur answers, suddenly interested.

"It was," His wife exclaims. "Except it nearly brought Charlie to tears." She said, remembering how quickly Charlie had left the table earlier the day at lunch as her husband looks at her confused.

"What did she say?" He asks, now confused.

"Well, she said ill." Molly answers, "But I think she was trying to say Bill because she was looking at a picture of him on the wall when she said it."

Arthur nods, understanding how that could upset Charlie and wraps his arms around Molly, seeing the pain she held for Charlie in her eyes.

"He'll come around," Arthur whispers, kissing his wife softly on the forehead. "Malfoy was at the Ministry today." He said with a sigh, figuring now was as good of time as any to tell his wife about the scandalous man he refused to claim as a relative, even distantly.

"Was he?" Molly asked, "Getting sent to Azkaban I hope." She said, snarling her nose. "Horrible man. And to think, his boy is being raised around that. That that is a way to live, to survive, serving for You-Know-Who."

Arthur nods. "Well, he is claiming that he never meant any of it-"

"That he never meant to kill innocent people?!" Molly stormed furiously, "That he never meant to use the Cruciatus Curse or allow his sister-in-law to torture poor Alice and Frank?! That he never meant to give them up to her?!"

"That's what he's claiming." Arthur says heavily. "His trial was today. He blamed it on-"

"Let me guess! The Imperius Curse?" She asked as her husband nodded softly, "Of course, You-Know-Who's loyal servant was bewitched. That's likely." She said, now furious.

"Well," Arthur answers, "him being in You-Know-Who's inner circle is only an assumption but I would love to get my hands on a raid at his place for muggle items. Maybe I'd accidentally turn up all kinds of Dark stuff there at the Manor. Surprise the Ministry."

"He's not worth it Arthur," Molly answers, rubbing her husband's arm as she realized she wasn't the only one frustrated. "They are the type of people that you just would rather ignore than bother with. Well, what did the Ministry say? Is he innocent?"

Arthur nodded softly before stopping himself. "Oh," He said, remembering what his assistant, Perkins, had told him. "I heard today at work. Gryffindor is playing Slytherin for the Quidditch Cup this weekend. We should go."

"Arthur," Molly says, thinking about it and realizing her husband should know these things but probably wasn't thinking, due to the overtime he had been working lately with a bewitched toilet plunger case, where the plunger had been attacking people and sucking on their heads. "Bill isn't old enough to be in Quidditch. He has to be a Second Year."

Her husband nods again. "Yes, but that doesn't mean he can't sit with us and watch the game." He said with a smile. "What do you say Molly Wobbles? Take the kids, all of them? Let the boys see Hogwarts. Let Charlie and Bill see each other one more time before he comes home for summer? It will be their first Quidditch game that they actually get to go see."

Molly thought about it for a second, trying to weigh out her odds on what was best for both Charlie and Bill in the situation. It would be chaotic, trying to watch over all seven kids while watching the Quidditch game too. In fact, she knew she probably wouldn't be watching much of the game between the twins trying to cause trouble and Ickle Ronniekins and Ginny begging for her attention but maybe, just maybe, it would help Charlie deal with the fact that he still had another year after this to wait before he could join Bill at Hogwarts. Softly, almost invisible to the naked eye, she nods. "Okay." She whispers, hoping that as a mother she was making the best decision for her son who was obviously going through a rough time right now. "Let's take them. This weekend?"

"Saturday." Arthur answers, a wide smile on his face.


	18. Bill's Big Surprise

Molly sighed, wiping her hands as she looked out the window at Charlie, who was out back by the pig pens, feeding the hogs as usual. She hadn't told any of the boys about the Quidditch game this evening, wanting to save it as a surprise but Charlie just seemed to be going deeper and deeper into a rut.

He had been unusually quiet since Bill had left for Hogwarts. Charlie was normally the quietest out of all of Molly's boys but it seemed like ever since Bill had left, Charlie had become even more distant, relying more on the animals to keep him company than his younger siblings. Arthur claimed this was due to the age gap between him and the other boys, saying that Charlie really couldn't relate to Fred or George and that Percy and Charlie simply had clashing personalities with Charlie always wanting to be outside and Percy being so focused on trying to read and write but Molly still couldn't help but worry about her second oldest son.

"Charlie," She hollered out the door, causing Charlie to jump up and run into the kitchen obediently.

"Yes Mum?" Charlie asked, trying to hide the fact that he felt more alone now than ever.

"In that last letter Bill wrote you, didn't he mention that Gryffindor was going up for the Quidditch Cup tonight?" She asked, her plan already formulating in her mind.

Charlie nodded softly, a look of disappointment still in his eyes. "Against Slytherin." He said quietly, looking down at his feet.

"Well then," Molly answered, a grin on her face. "We may just have to go and see how Gryffindor does, won't we?" As Molly said the words, she saw a smile grow wide across Charlie's face and couldn't help but sigh in relief as he went up to tell Fred and George the good news.

"Quidditch! Quidditch!" The twins hollered, running down the stairs with Charlie and Bill's old toy broomsticks in their hands. Molly couldn't help but smile at them as they stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Charlie to come down.

"Come on!" Fred hollered back up the stairs.

"We don't have all day!" George finished as both boys started to get antsy.

"Where are you three going?" Molly asked, a smile on her face.

"To play Quidditch." Fred says happily.

"Charlie said he'd show us how." George says, his grin running from ear to ear.

"Are all three of you flying?" Molly asked with concern. It was one thing for Charlie and Bill to fly around the yard as boys but to actually play Quidditch, they would need more room.

"No," Charlie answers, racing down the stairs. "Only two of us because we only have two brooms. Winner gets to play again against the other person."

Molly nodded, making a mental note of a Christmas gift next year for the twins. She knew with how short on money they were that she would have to start buying gifts now if she wanted to get all the kids what they wanted for Christmas and figured that, with her next trip to Diagon Alley, maybe she would be able to slip away for a moment, leaving Arthur with the boys while she got to get them some gifts. "Well," She said, looking out the window at the yard. "See that spot on the hill," She asked, pointing up to a small paddock surrounded by trees.

Charlie nodded, listening intently to his mother.

"You boys can go up there to play just don't fly too high. There is a muggle village below that can see you if you get above the treeline."

"Mum," Charlie answered as if it were obvious. "The brooms couldn't go that high if they tried." He said with a smile. "They barely get more than three feet off the ground."

"Okay, well be careful." Molly said, "I'm letting you watch the twins."

Charlie nodded, understanding what a big responsibility that could be. "I'll take care of them mum." He said, leading the twins out to the paddock where Molly could still, barely but still, see them playing Quidditch with an apple, taking turns catching it in the air.

Meanwhile, now two-year-old Ronniekins ran around the living room, making broom noises as he did so and Percy watched intently. "Come here," Percy said, grabbing Ronniekins's hand, trying to show him how to read The Tales of Beedle The Bard. Ronniekins, realizing that Percy was trying to make him sit still, instead started to cry out in rebellion, sending Molly over to pick him up.

"He don't want to do anything with me," Percy says, his face moping with disappointment.

"He is still young Percy," Molly answers, "Wait til he gets a little older. Why don't you read to Ginny?" She offered, causing Percy to go sit next to Ginny's high chair and read to her simply to please his mother. She watched with a smile as Percy read The Wizard and The Hopping Pot out loud to Ginny, who in return sat quietly and listened intently.

Molly listened as Percy read story after story to Ginny there in the kitchen, all the while trying to get dinner done early for when Arthur got home. She wanted to make sure they could just eat just before floo'ing into Hogwarts to see the Quidditch Game. It was a special occasion, the kids all being able to go see Hogwarts and watch their first Quidditch game, so Molly made pork chops and boiled potatoes for dinner, filling the kitchen up with sweet aromas.

She heard Arthur walk in the door as she pulled a cherry pie out of the oven, causing Ron to squeal out in laughter, running up to Arthur for a hug.

"There's my Ronniekins." Arthur said with a grin, throwing Ronniekins just a few inches up in the air to get him to laugh more. "Is everyone ready?" He asked Molly as he walked into the kitchen.

"DINNER!" Molly yelled out into the backyard, causing Charlie, Fred, and George to come running in, all three exhausted from their day of playing Quidditch outside. "They are now," She said with a smile as the boys sat down at the table. "And the sooner you eat, the sooner you get to go see the game." She said as Fred and George stuffed their faces full of food. Charlie and Percy ate at a much slower pace, both of them making sure not to choke on a pork chop or swallow a boiled potato whole. Arthur sat down, cutting up Ronniekins' food as they enjoyed a meal as a family.

After dinner was done and cleaned up, Molly and Arthur got the kids together, all of them standing in front of the fireplace. "Now remember," Molly reminded them, "Two at a time, to Headmaster Dumbledore's office." She continued, having already had the discussion with Dumbledore as to how they were going to travel there, Dumbledore being more than willing to accommodate his own office for their travels. "Dad and Ronniekins will go first." She said as Arthur threw the floo powder into the fireplace, speaking very clearly.

"Dumbledore's office." Arthur said, Ronniekins squealing with joy as the green flames engulfed them.

"Now look for your father whenever you are in the chimneys. Make sure you don't go through the wrong one. Dad and Ronniekins will be waiting for you with Dumbledore."

"Mum! Mum! Can Fred and I go next?" Charlie asks now excited.

"Yes, go." Molly answered, shifting Ginny on her hip to get more comfortable.

Charlie did as Arthur had, throwing the floo powder in the fireplace and then grabbing Fred's hand. "Come on Fred," He said, his voice having the tone an older brother should have. "Let's go see the Quidditch game." They stood in the fireplace as Charlie clearly spoke. "DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE!" And the flames engulfed them too.

"You next Percy." Molly said as Percy grabbed George's hand, dragging him over to the fireplace and repeated the same ritual his father and Charlie had, George's face having a look of disgust for having to travel with Percy as they disappeared.

"Are you ready Ginny?" Molly asked the infant before repeating the same words Arthur and the boys had and appeared in Dumbledore's office. The children looked around the circular room in awe, seeing the books which lined the rounded walls. Portraits hung on the walls of previous Headmasters, ones which had since their careers at Hogwarts retired or passed away. They stared in awe at the bird sitting on it's stand in the room, it dull colored and balding. Softly, the bird coughed causing Percy to jump backwards as Dumbledore walked down the spiral stairwell in the middle of the room.

"Molly, Arthur." He said with a grin on his face. "It's a pleasure having you both back at Hogwarts. How have you been?" He said, shaking little Ronniekins hair as the boy grasped onto Molly's leg.

"Good," Arthur answered, "Work has been busy. It's...It's been a while." He said, looking around.

"Nearly 14 years." Dumbledore answered, "In fact, nearly fourteen years to the day now isn't it?"

"In June." Molly answered with a smile.

"Well, we have a game to see don't we?" He said, causing the boys to all smile, minus Ronniekins, who still looked at the Headmaster in fear. Quickly the boys ran ahead of Molly and Arthur, who walked slowly talking to Dumbledore about Fabian, Gideon, and the War that was now at bay. They also discussed Bill, who was very good and dedicated in his studies, how he had potential within Hogwarts and talked about the other six children while they walked, Ronniekins holding tightly to Molly's neck to avoid looking at Dumbledore.

As they get to the Quidditch Pitch, Molly sits down in the stands that were set aside for parents and teachers next to Professor McGonagall. Arthur places the boys in between them, the twins sitting next to Charlie and Molly and Percy on the end by Arthur. He watched as Dumbledore walked over to the other side of the Pitch, them having not told Bill that they were coming, and come back with Bill following him, scared that maybe he had gotten in trouble.

"I have a surprise for you Bill." The Headmaster said, blocking Bill's view of his parents with his own body. Bill looked around the stands nervously at all the other teachers and parents in shock, his head down between his shoulders in fear. Slowly, the Headmaster moved down a step, causing Bill's eyes to light up as he ran over, hugging both Molly and Arthur and then turning to look at the boys.

"You guys came! You actually came!" Bill hollered happily. "And all of you did! Charlie and Percy and Fred and George! You guys all came!" He said happily. "I can't believe it!"

"We wanted to surprise you!" Charlie answered, "Did it work?"

"Yea," Bill answers, "It did. This is great!" He said grinning from ear to ear as the Quidditch Teams came out onto the field. Bill pointed out each member of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team to Charlie as the two teams flew back and forth across the Pitch, Charlie simply nodding his head at the right times as he didn't hear a single name mentioned. He was too busy watching the players hit the bludgers, fly after the snitch, and block the quaffle.

"What is that position?" He asked as he watched a single player fly up after the snitch.

"That's the Seeker," Bill answered, "He has to catch the snitch in order for the game to end. Normally, whichever team catches the snitch wins, because of how many points they get for doing it."

"It looks like fun," Charlie answered. "That's what I want to do."

"You have to be really fast." Bill says, watching as the Seeker nearly catches the snitch, missing by only a few inches.

"I can be fast." Charlie tells himself more than Bill as he holds his breath watching the Seeker reach once more for the snitch.

"How is the Potter boy?" Molly asked as the boys all sat silently watching the game, none of their eyes ever coming off of the players in front of them. Molly couldn't help but embrace the fact that none of them were getting in trouble, this being a first since she had had more than one Weasley boy in the house. Molly couldn't help but enjoy the quiet, the chance to talk with another adult in peace.

"Taken care of," Dumbledore answers, popping another lemon drop in his mouth. "We have him suited away in a home with some family. "

"That is good," Molly answers as Ronniekins stares at the man with the long white beard, no longer terrified but now more interested in what the man could possibly be eating. "It is tragic what had happened. The boy was so young, and to see his parents..." Molly stops herself, not even wanting to think about what the poor child had endured seeing his parents die before his own eyes. "It is just heart-wrenching." She says, pulling Ronniekins closer to her bosom.

"Yes," Dumbledore answers, watching the Gryffindor Seeker catch the snitch as the crowd went wild. "It is a horrible tragedy but I think it will only make the boy stronger."


	19. Meeting Auntie Muriel

**A/N: A little bit of a time gap here, but it is Christmas of 1982. Consider this an early Christmas present from me to you, as I am already feeling the Holiday Cheer! I didn't have much to fill in on the time between the Quidditch Game and now, but I promise 1983 will be much more interesting and better. To make up for the time gap there, I gave you all an extra long Christmas chapter. Please enjoy. **

As Christmas time rolled around once more, Molly made sure that the house was spotless. Muggle Christmas lights that Arthur had brought home from work, each color of the lights lighting up would set off a different Christmas scent, which completely lit up the Weasley living room and dining room. The house quickly filled with, due to Arthur's crazy muggle lights, the smells of pumpkin pie, pine needles, and gingerbread. She had sent the older boys outside to play, Ronniekins now nearly three trailing behind the twins as they hid behind the chicken coop with snowballs, waiting for Percy to walk by.

"Make sure they are nice and round." Fred said over his shoulder to Ickle Ronniekins, who was sitting on the ground gathering up more snow in his tiny mitts to bundle up into another snowball.

"And no rocks yet." George says, smirking at his twin brother. "We can't get in trouble before Christmas even begins.

"No Rocks!" Ronniekins repeats, looking down at the snowball with a mission. "No Rocks!"

As Percy walks around the side of the pigpens, bored with Charlie and Bill's constant talk of Hogwarts and Merpeople, who according to Bill, lived in the lake there at Hogwarts. Huffing along, he starts to walk closer to the chicken coop.

"Now?" Fred asks, barely a whisper as Percy walks closer.

"Now!" George answers with a yell as two snowballs come flying up at Percy, one hitting him in the face as the other hit him in the chest. Ronniekin's little hands tried to keep up, handing Fred and George snowballs as fast as he could while the twins threw them at Percy, repeatedly hitting him and the items around him until Ronniekins finally spoke up.

"All gone." He said softly, looking down where the pile of snowballs had once stood.

"All of them?" George asks, turning around quickly.

"All of them." Fred answers, "Let's go." Quickly the twins run off around the side of the chicken coop as to not get spotted by Percy, leaving Ronniekins sitting there alone to take the blame.

Percy felt as his face get red with fury as he stormed off, walking around to where Fred and George had attacked him from, seeing only Ronniekins sitting there alone making more snowballs as he had been told.

"I can't believe them!" Percy growls, "Come on Ronniekins." He said, grabbing Ron by the arm. "We are going to go tell on Fred and George for making you help them. That's what good boys do."

"NO! NO!" Ronniekins started screaming, fighting against Percy's grip as much as he could. "No tell! No tell!"

Percy dragged Ronniekins into the Burrow, Ronniekins' nose red from the cold while Percy's face was flushed with fury. "Mum!" He hollered out, looking around the kitchen. "MUM!"

"I really don't have time Percy," Molly answered as she rushed past him. "Your Auntie Muriel will be here in an hour." She said, handing Ginny a bottle up in the highchair as she ran over to the sink. "Scourgify!" She said, pointing at the dirty dishes, causing them to clean themselves. Quickly, she looked at the apple pie in the oven before glancing over at the Grandfather Clock that stood in between the living room and dining room. "Your father still hasn't left work yet. Tergeo!" She pointed her wand at the clock, causing all the dust to siphon off of it.

"But...they hit me...with snowballs." Percy complains. "I was just walking by. They made Ronniekins help, didn't they Ronniekins?"

"No Tell! No Tell!" Ronniekins answered, shaking his head back and forth furiously. "No tell! No tell!"

"I don't have time Percy," Molly answered again, "The presents still need put under the tree and the pumpkin juice-" Molly stops in her tracks, remembering the one thing she had forgotten to pick up from Diagon Alley. "Pumpkin juice. Percy, do mummy a favor."

Percy perked up quickly at the words, excited and ready to help in any way possible. "What is it mum?" He asked, his eyes lit up with excitement.

"Go over to Mister Diggory's house." She said softly. "You know where that is?" Percy nodded his head rapidly. "Ask them for a bottle of Pumpkin Juice."

"Okay!" Percy answered, running out the door happily.

"Go play?" Ronniekins asked, standing on his tiptoes trying to look out the window and see what Fred and George were up to.

"Yes," Molly answered, "Go play."

Muriel showed up exactly on time, a sour look covering her face as she walked into the door. Her hair, having the same curly style as Molly's but much grayer with age was covered with a black hat covered in pink and purple feathers.

"Honestly Molly," She said, taking off her coat and handing it to her niece. "You would think you and Arnold would have moved out of this condemned shack by now."

"His name is Arthur." Molly answers softly, already feeling belittled by her aunt. "Let me bring the kids in."

"In?" Muriel answered with disgust. "They aren't inside yet? Outside getting filthy no doubt. Honestly, I thought by now you and Arnold would have decided against raising them the Weasley way and would raise them primp and proper."

"Yes well," Molly answered, wishing her husband was already here to defend her. "Arthur and I believe that we should let the boys be kids."

"That's the problem now-a-days." Muriel answered, "When I was younger, there were no thoughts of going out and getting dirty. Too much housework needed done for all of that."

Molly nodded, not wanting to argue with her Aunt as she opened up the window on the upper-half of the door, hollering out for the boys to come in. Percy, Charlie, and Bill were the first ones to run in, Fred, George and Ronniekins dragging their feet behind them.

"I do need to sit." Muriel said, patting her face with a handkerchief. "My ankles aren't anything like what they used to be. I am nearly ninety-three now. Of course, you knew that Molly." Muriel says, causing the twins to roll their eyes as Percy ran over beside Muriel.

"I'll get the chair for you," He says proudly, holding out one of the dining room chairs for his Great-Aunt to sit in.

"_I'll get the chair for you." _Fred and George mock in unison, rolling their eyes as they walk into the living room.

"Thank you Percy." Muriel answers, looking at Molly. "It's nice to know one of your boys has manners." She says, "Those twins, just like your brothers." She said, causing Molly to turn beet red in fury. "Always getting into mischief. And look at this one," She said, squeezing Ronniekins cheek painfully. "You need to stop feeding Ronald so much. He is going to be nearly as big as your pigs getting ready for slaughter."

"There is nothing wrong with Ronniekins weight." Molly answered, picking the toddler up quickly to save him from his Great-Aunt's ridicule.

"Is that William?" She asked, causing Bill to turn a bright shade of red at the embarrassment of someone using his full first name. "Really William, for a second I thought you were a little girl with your hair the length that it is. And Charles, what have you been getting into?" She asked, causing Molly to turn around as see Charlie's knees dirty from playing in the yard.

"Charlie, go change your jeans." Molly said firmly, reaching over and picking Ginny up out of the highchair and fluffing down her green Christmas dress.

"Really Molly," Muriel started in again. "Green? That makes that poor baby look so pale. You should put Ginevra in something nicer. Keep dressing her like that and she will get teased once she gets into Hogwarts. Have any of your other boys shown any sign of magical abilities yet? Surely one of them isn't squib."

Molly continued to listen to the Auntie Muriel's complaints, biting her tongue as she repeatedly looked at the grandfather clock, waiting for Arthur's face on it to move from work to traveling. Meanwhile, the twins sat in the living room talking amongst themselves to avoid any further torture from having to deal with their Great-Aunt.

"This stinks," Charlie said, walking straight through the living room to the stairs to head up to his bedroom looking down at the spots on his knees.

The twins stop talking for a moment, the wheels turning in their heads before they look at each other.

"Are you thinking what I am George?" Fred asks, looking at his twin brother with a devious grin.

"I believe I am Fred." George answers, smiling back. "I believe I am."

Later on, at dinner Arthur and Molly silently listened as Muriel continued on about Arthur's line of work. "Seriously Arnold," She said as cut apart the piece of ham on her plate. "You really should consider looking into a different line of work. Now Molly's uncle Ignatius, he did something with himself. Has been able to provide for Lucretia and given her anything she likes. Although I am sure Lucretia is used to all of that, those Blacks were all born with silver spoons in their mouths. Speaking of Blacks Molly, did you see where Ignatius' niece's husband was in the paper? Lucius? So was Sirius. I believe it though, that boy always seemed to be nothing but trouble, but still murder of all things..."

Percy couldn't help but block out the rest of what his Great-Aunt was saying as he saw a fluff of red hair run behind her, snickering. Leaning over in his chair, nearly into Charlie's lap, he tried to see what was going on. The twins weren't sitting at the table, he knew that much, but what were they up to he didn't have any inkling.

"Personal space Percy." Charlie says, trying to get out of Percy's way.

"They are up to something." Percy answers in a whisper as the second red tuft of hair ran past as well. "I know it."

"They are always up to something," Charlie answers, nearly falling off his own chair as he tried to get his body out of Percy's way. "But that don't mean you have to sit in your chair and mine both."

"They are up to something bad." Percy whispers again, his eyes beady as he tried to figure it out.

"Now put it on." George whispers, holding a roller-skate that Arthur had brought home from work in place.

"It's gross," Fred answers as he sets the item on the roller-skate and wipes his hands off on his shirt.

"That's the point." George says with a smirk.

"I'll pull the cord." Fred smiles. "You push it."

"Okay." George answers as they look each other in the eyes, Fred's hand on the string while George's held the roller-skate in place.

They speak in unison, their voices soft whispers. "One, two, three!" They say together, Fred quickly pulling the string as George pushes the roller-skate, making it stop right under their Great-Aunt Muriel's chair.

"Let's go!" Fred yelled, grabbing George's hand as they ran off in laughter.

"They did something." Percy growled, his voice unobservant to anyone other than Charlie, who was forced to listen to it as Percy nearly sat in his chair.

"That's great." Charlie answers rudely, "Now can I eat?!"

"-And Rita Skeeter said that all they found of the man was a finger. A single finger. The rest of poor Peter Pettigrew was demolished. Horrible way to go, although I'm sure it's not much worse than Orion's death. I feel so bad for Walburga. To lose a husband and a son in the same year, then she found out about Sirius but I'm sure the apple doesn't fall far from the tree if you know what I-" Her voice stopped as the roller-skate flew off away from the chair, hitting the wall next to where the twins had sat and a purple gust of smoke rose up, covering Muriel and her clothes with a foul odor. Ronniekins and Ginny both started crying at the awful stench of what smelt like a mixture of dirty socks and sewage while Charlie and Bill covered their noses and Molly quickly ran over to open a window, gagging the entire time.

"Fred and George did it! I knew they were hiding something! They did it!" Percy hollers while Molly tries using a handful of different spells to get the smell out of her kitchen. "They did it! I saw them! They were snickering and-"

"I can not believe this!" Muriel huffs, her sharp nose snarled in disgust. "Never in my ninety-three years of being alive have I EVER-"

"-They did it! They did, I saw it!-"

"Your boys are troublesome, just like your brothers were Molly. Need to put them on a tighter leash! I think a proper-"

"-They did it! They did!-"  
"SHUT UP PERCY!" Molly, Arthur, Charlie and Bill all four yell at the same time, causing Percy to melt down into his seat.

"That is just like you though as a Weasley, having more kids than you can control. That's what all the Weasleys' seem to have done. That is why-"

Suddenly Molly turned bright red in the face, having heard enough gossip for one day from her Aunt Muriel and ready to scream from the foul odor still lingering in her kitchen. "NOW YOU LISTEN HERE!" Molly yelled, causing all five kids still at the table to flinch down in their seats, not wanting to be the next victim of Molly's famous wrath. "I am married to Arthur, not Arnold, because I love him! And yes, we have a houseful of kids. Sometimes it does get chaotic, but we love them very much! We are NOT another family that your useless gossip entails! That is why we try to stay out of it! And yes, the twins are just like my brothers and I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY! Sure Ginny looks pale in green, and maybe Ronniekins is a little bit chubby in the face! Charlie is always dirty and Bill is in need of a haircut. Maybe Percy is a squib, I don't know, but they are MY kids and I love them just the way they are!"

"Well, I never-" Auntie Muriel starts before Molly cuts her off.

"YOUR ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! YOU HAVE NEVER! NEVER CARED! NEVER BEEN POLITE! NEVER LOVING! AND IF ALL YOUR GOING TO DO IS CRITIQUE MY KIDS AND DOWNGRADE MY HUSBAND THEN MY DEAR AUNTIE MURIEL, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Looking as if someone had smacked her across the face, Muriel stood up fiercely, storming out the door as the foul odor of the dirty socks and sewage followed her out. Tears welled up in Molly's eyes as she heard the familiar pop outside the door of her aunt disapparating. As Arthur put his hand on his wife's shoulder in comfort, the tears starting to fall, causing her to run up into their bedroom and shut the door.

Falling onto the bed, Molly no longer held the tears back as she sobbed onto Arthur's pillow. The pain of all the critiquing her aunt had done was a bit too much on Molly as she wondered for the first time in her life, whether or not she was doing the right thing and raising her children the way they were supposed to be raised. They all seemed like happy enough kids. Sure, Charlie got upset whenever Bill left for Hogwarts and the twins were always picking on Percy, but they were kids. She couldn't judge them for that. She wanted them to be kids.

It didn't take long before she heard a soft knock on the door and Arthur poked his head in.

"Mollywobbles?" He called out, sitting down next to her on the bed. "Come here, Molls." He said, pulling her up to him by the arm. Molly didn't fight it as her face went directly from the pillow to the comforting crease in his neck and she continued to sob in his arms. "There there," He whispered, rubbing her back like she liked so much whenever she got upset. "You can't control your family. If you could, believe me I would make some major repairs."

"B...But...I...I love our kids. I...I love them ju...just the way they are." Molly stuttered through the tears.

"I do too," Arthur answered, "And the dung bomb was a genius idea. They will be de-gnoming all summer next year for it but it was genius." Arthur said, causing Molly to laugh slightly. "There's the woman I love." He said with a smile, wiping her tears away. "Come on, the kids have Christmas presents."

That year, every kid got a jumper as tradition called for. Molly and Arthur also made sure to get Fred and George matching toy brooms so that they could play Quidditch with Charlie and Bill out back. Bill got a new set of stationary paper, since he had a new pen-friend through the school that lived in Brazil. Charlie got his copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Seamander early, even though he wasn't going to be going to school for another nine months. Percy had earned himself his own personal copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, now no longer having to share it with the other kids. They made sure to give Ronniekins a new teddy bear, which he quickly grabbed and hugged and didn't let go of for the rest of the night, and Ginny got a new dress. Overall, despite the mishap, Molly had to say that with all of her kids happy and in the house, even if it was overcrowded and noisy and sometimes hectic, she wouldn't have it any other way.


	20. Arachnaphobia

**A/N: Wanted to wish a happy belated 40th birthday to Charlie Weasley today, December 12th. Added an extra little bit in here just for you Charlie, Happy Birthday!**

"Mum! Mum! Mum!" Charlie hollered, running into the living room where Molly sat knitting on that bright spring day. It was nearly May, almost time for Bill to leave Hogwarts and head back home in a little over a month and Molly could see that her second oldest boy was already starting to come back out of his shell as a result. Holding Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them in his arms, Charlie quickly sat down next to Molly on the family's rundown couch. "Look at what I found mum." He said, opening the book up to page 22. "It says here," He says, looking at the book. "That a Jarvey is only three X's on the danger level, that's not too bad really. And they are found in Britain AND Ireland. They can talk, although they are rude, but that's no worse than the gnomes mum." He says, trying to defend his case as he looked at his mother for approval. "And they pursue gnomes. Mum, he can get rid of our gnomes and then you don't have to be mean to them anymore." The boy said hopeful.

Molly looked at her son, unable to tell him the truth about the Jarvey he so desperately wanted. She couldn't tell them the gnomes were better off being thrown over the wall. That they would be brutally killed otherwise. Instead, she simply brushes his hair back out of his eyes. "I think de-gnoming will work for now Charlie. We really don't have the money for another pet."

"But mum..." He says with a sigh. "We wouldn't have to feed him, I don't think." Charlie answers, looking down at the book in disappointment.

"I will look into a cat." Molly answers, smiling at her son. "A typical house cat."

"Okay!" Charlie answers excited, completely forgetting about the Jarvey conversation. "And it can eat mice. We wouldn't have to feed it either." He said with a grin.

"Exactly." Molly answers as Charlie flips the page in his books, continuing his reading and Molly continues to knit.

"One day mum, I am going to look at as many animals in this book as I can. I want to see what a Chinese Fireball looks like. Or a Knarl. Or even a Phoenix mum. Those would be cool. They catch on fire and then are reborn from the ashes." He explains as Molly listens intently while continuing her knitting.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the twins' room, Ronniekins sat there and toyed with Fred's toy broomstick. Fred would kill him if he even knew Ronniekins was touching it but he couldn't help it. At just barely being three, Ronniekins couldn't help but still have a curiosity as to how the magic worked to keep Fred and George on the brooms. He had seen his brothers climb onto the brooms before, just straddle one leg over it like this. Then hold onto the handle tightly, the toddler told himself, doing what he had seen so many times, and lift your feet off-

Fred and George in Percy's room just across the hall were busy tying muggle poppers to the door. Their father had brought them home. "Interesting really." He had said, "You pull each side like this and-" POP! "It goes off. No damage or anything." They stop as they hear Ronniekins whimpering in the other room, both of them running in there to see the red-headed toddler laying next to the wall, the toy broom broken in half beside him.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Fred yells, looking at the mess. "YOU BROKE MY BROOM!"

"Accy-dent." Ronniekins whimpers, looking down at his feet. Fred couldn't help it as his face turned red, fury overwhelming him at the sight of his Christmas present broken on the floor.

"YOU BROKE IT!" He hollers again.

"It accy-dent!" Ronniekins hollers back as Fred's fury builds and he runs out of the room and down the stairs, Ronniekins sitting down on the floor crying.

Fred tried to be sneaky as he got down on all fours, crawling silently behind the couch where Molly sat with Charlie.

"The Acro- Acro-" Charlie says, trying to pronounce the word in the book.

"Acromantula." Molly answers, looking at the word momentarily.

"The Acromantula have eight eyes, are highly intelligent and capable of human speech. They are typically covered in thick black hair, with a leg span that can reach up to fifteen feet. They possess a set of giant fangs which they use to eat live prey or their own dead kin. Can you imagine mum? FIFTEEN FEET!?" Charlie said with excitement as Fred reached up, grabbing Molly's wand off the end table next to her and ran off, back up the stairs.

"You break MY toy, I get to break yours!" Fred said in fury, pointing Molly's wand at Ronniekin's teddy bear. He didn't know any spells but he was furious enough. He growled, hoping the wand would work as a blue light left Molly's wand, hitting the teddy bear instantly.

"NO!" Ronniekins screamed as the bear started to shake, hairy legs growing out of it's fuzzy body as it's two eyes that had stared at Ronniekins so happily before began to multiply into hundreds of beady little eyes. He watched as the muzzle of his teddy bear sank back into the bear's face and pinschers dropped down from it's nose which quickly disappeared.

"WOAH!" Fred and George say in unison and shock, having no idea Fred could do such a spell as the teddy bear that was now a spider used all eight legs to chase after Ronniekins who quickly crawled onto the bed to get away from it. The spider followed the three-year-old with tear-stained eyes as he jumped from one bed to the other, ran around the room and eventually locked himself inside Fred and George's closet which smelt horribly like old socks. Once inside there, Ronniekins couldn't help but scream out, crying in fear causing Molly to run up the stairs quickly.

"What ARE you boy-" She stopped as she looked at the room, it all making sense as Fred's toy broomstick lay broken in the corner, Fred held his hand behind his back, the spider that was easily the height of Ronniekins scratched at the closet door, and Ronniekins sat inside the closet, wailing at the top of his lungs in fear.

"FRED GIDEON WEASLEY! GIVE ME MY WAND RIGHT NOW!" Molly yelled, causing fear to overwhelm Fred as he softly forfeited the wand and Molly turned the spider back into Ronniekin's teddy bear. As she opened the door to the closet, Ronniekins ran into the safety of his mother's arms once more, cradling his head in her neck as he cried out frantically.

"Thanks," George mumbled a few hours later as he grabbed a gnome from the garden, spinning around quickly before throwing it over the wall.

"He broke my broom." Fred says back, his own voice soft yet agitated. "It's not my fault mum babies him. _Ickle Ronniekins."_ He said with a snarl.

"_Ickle Ronniekins. Ickle Ronniekins." _The twins repeated, saying the words each time one of them threw a gnome over the wall. "_Ickle Ronniekins. Ickle Ronniekins."_

Ronniekins sat in his room that night, staring at the teddy bear he had once loved so much before whimpering lightly. Silently he climbed out of bed, grabbing the bear by the arm and throwing it in his own closet before shutting the door again and placing a ball in front of the door to keep it closed.

"No sider." He said to himself, staring at the closet door as he backed up and crawled back into his bed, pulling his blankets up to his neck in fear. "No sider."


	21. Identical Twins

The summer of 1983 was another hot one, leaving the boys with little else to do besides Quidditch which, since Bill was now home from Hogwarts, was more detailed than it had been before when Charlie, Fred, and George would take turns throwing acorns up in the air and flying around on their brooms to try and catch them before they hit the ground. Now, with Bill being able to fly on an old broom Molly and Arthur had in the broom shed, Charlie would use his own toy broomstick which was getting to be too small for him, George used his that he had gotten for Christmas and Bill allowed Fred to use his old toy broomstick making it so that there were just enough for all four boys to play on teams.

They used the trees on either side as goal posts, Charlie and Bill being the Keepers while Fred and George flew around chasing an acorn that Molly had charmed to fly around on it's own, resembling a Quaffle. The game was much more exciting now that they had even teams, keeping them out oftentimes nearly til dusk playing Quidditch out in the paddock Molly had pointed out the previous year.

Percy, instead, sat there helping Molly de-gnome the garden, accepting her praise with warmth any time she was willing to hand it out to him. He made sure to stay on his toes, catching the gnomes every chance he got while keeping an eye on Ronniekins and Ginny in the process. Ronniekins sat there quietly, the sweat rolling off of the young boy's forehead as he shrieked out in laughter every time one of the gnomes screamed out in anger of getting caught.

Molly couldn't help but glance over, seeing Ginny's bright yellow sundress out of the corner of her eye. The young child, a mere 2 years old now, stood in the yard looking down at a dandelion with happiness.

"Fower?" The toddler says happily as she reaches down for the white puff, grabbing at it and sending the dandelion's seeds going all over the yard. She looks up, seeing that Molly was watching her and squeels out with joy. "Fower go boom!" She says with excitement before reaching for another one. "Boom fower! Boom fower!" The toddler says with excitement as her brown eyes light up and her long red hair flows back in the wind. "Boom!"

"BOOM!" Ronniekins answers, throwing his hands up in the air and causing Molly to laugh at both of them.

"Come on Percy," Molly says, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Maybe it is too hot to de-gnome."

"So what are we going to do mother?" Percy asks, causing Molly to sigh. Percy had just turned seven and ever since his birthday, something in the boy had changed. Had started to become more official. No longer did he call Molly and Arthur mum and dad. It was now mother and father as he held his head high while saying it with pride. It bothered Molly slightly, causing her to feel like maybe Percy was growing up too fast. Like with him not interacting with the other Weasley boys as brothers should, he was missing out on what made him a child but there was little she could do other than try to find things that interested all the children.

"We are going swimming." Molly answered, hoping that might be just what Percy needed in order to feel more like he belonged with the other boys and less like an adult.

"Sim?" Ginny asked, tilting her head as Percy picked her up and Molly picked up Ronniekins, the two of them heading down to the paddock to let the other boys know.

The swimming hole wasn't far from the Burrow, between the Burrow and where Mr. Diggory's house sat actually. Amos was the one who had shown Arthur the swimming hole, a nice little creek that held a grassy area on one side of it for Molly to sit with Ginny and Ronniekins and watch the others swim. On the other side of the swimming hole, which was only about ten to fifteen feet wide, sat some large rocks which were just tall enough for the boys to climb up onto, sit, and run around on. She knew it was just the perfect place for all of the children to have a blast.

"Let's go!" Bill hollered, running down to the creek bed as Charlie followed closely behind. Molly sat up on the grassy hill as she watched Fred and George run after them, Percy following shortly behind. There was even an area in the creek that was shallow enough for Ronniekins and Ginny to go and wade in as well, leaving Molly to crochet while the children played.

She watched as Bill led the way to the rocks on the other side, a perfect place for the boys to jump off of and dive into the cool water below. She couldn't believe how quickly his red hair was growing out, long and straight it was nearly to his shoulders now as he still refused to allow her to cut it. Molly couldn't help but be proud of her oldest son, the way he carried himself with his head held high proved to everyone around them that he was in fact the oldest and dedicated to taking care of his younger siblings.

"What if we land on a fish?!" Charlie asked with the greatest of concerns as he looked over the rocks down at the water below.

"A fish isn't going to feel anything." Bill answered with a laugh. "It will just sink down lower in the water. Come on!" With that, Bill jumped into the water, only dropping a mere four or five feet through the air before landing in the water with a splash. The twins watch in awe, waiting for their older brother to resurface before he finally does, his red hair slicked back with the water as he laughed out. "It feels great!" Bill said, a smile covering his face.

"Well brother?" Fred asked George with a devious grin.

"I'm in if you are Fred." George answered, grabbing Fred's hand as the two of them run, jumping into the water together before coming up for air and diving back under.

"Come on Charlie." Bill says as he leans back on his back in the water. "Percy. The water is great, you two!"

"I don't know..." Charlie answers, still holding a grave concern for the fish swimming around in the water.

"Oh come on." Bill says with a sigh. "You keep this up, they are going to sort you in Hufflepuff!"

That was enough convincing for Charlie as he jumped into the water and landed near Bill, splashing water up into Bill's face with his landing. "There!" He says as he comes back up for air. "Are you happy?!"

"See, the fish didn't feel a thing." Bill laughs back as Percy, realizing the attention was off of him, holds his nose and jumps in after the others. When he came up, the curly hair on top of his hand looked nearly tangled as the curls meshed together into a reddened bundle on his head.

"Charlie, look underwater." Percy says, dunking his own face under. Charlie follows Percy's lead, opening his eyes under the water to see a beautiful array of red, blue, and orange fish in the water. He was mesmerized by their colors as they swam around his legs, nipping gently at his toes. The boys continued to laugh and play, splashing water on each other and watching the fish as another woman walked up beside Molly, sitting down next to her.

"Well, if it isn't Mrs. Weasley." The woman said with a smile as her young son ran out to play in the water. The woman was tall and lanky, not much unlike her son Cedric, with dark brown hair that seemed to melt even the hardest of souls and hair to match that went nearly all the way down her back. She always had a peaceful sounding voice, one that could silence even the crankiest of babies and carried herself with respect.

"Hello there Mrs. Diggory," Molly answered with a smile. Their friendship wasn't one of first names. Their husbands were co-workers along with the occasional coming over for a visit, nothing that provided the families with first names, but much like the Lovegood's, simply respectful conversation.

"Cedric wanted to enjoy the water." Mrs. Diggory says with a smile as Molly watches the young boy who was only a year older than Fred and George, a mere six years old, run out into the water. He was tall and skinny like his mother, only getting his hair and eyes from Amos. His skin was pale, not much unlike that of Molly's own sons but something was different about Cedric. He was fearless, his head held high in everything that he did as he swam over to the twins, his swimming performance looking more like an art than a hobby. "I told him we could come out here."

"Come on," Molly heard Cedric say with a laugh. "Let's jump off that one." She watched as Fred, George and Bill followed after him onto a larger rock, Charlie and Percy still mesmerized by the colorful fish below.

"Go ahead Cedric," Bill says with a laugh. "I'll follow you."

"Okay," Cedric says, a smile showing his perfectly straightened teeth as he jumped down, pulling his knees to his chest before he hit the water below with a laugh. "That was great!" He says, the smile covering his face. "Your turn Bill."

Bill quickly followed after Cedric while Molly and Mrs. Diggory continued to talk on the shore, Mrs. Diggory proudly bragging about how fast Cedric was on his broom and how she could easily see him making the Quidditch Team once he got accepted into Hogwarts. "I have been having him practice his Potions too." The woman told Molly. "Just like you were doing with Bill. He has an expertise at it, very precise in everything that he does."

"I'm going first!" Fred says, pushing George out of the way.

"No, I'm going first!" George yells back, trying to nudge his way forward.

"I'm going first!"

"I'm going first!"

"I'm going first!"

Molly was too busy listening to Mrs. Diggory bragging about Cedric and his accomplishments to even see as George bolted forward, trying to run past Fred and get to the water below. Fred didn't miss a beat though as he grabbed George's arm, pulling him backwards as he projects himself forward towards the water. The two boys repeatedly grabbing each others arms, yanking each other out of the way stopped when Fred's foot slipped on a loose rock, causing him to fall down the side as George screams out in fear for his twin.

The rest happened almost at lightning speed as Molly and Mrs. Diggory both rush over to the five-year-old holding his arm in pain. Fred grits his teeth, fighting back the tears as he holds his arm in pain. The pain was excruciating but didn't hurt nearly as bad as the look on George's face on the rocks above him where Fred had fallen from. Tears fell from George's eyes as he stared down at his brother in fear. For the first time in their lives, the twins were no longer identical.

* * *

"It only hurts a little bit." Fred says the next day as him and George sit in the back yard behind Arthur's garage. They both stare at the cast around Fred's lower arm, knowing what this meant. They were no longer mixed up, no longer called by the wrong name. They could be distinguished easily now, by a simple glance to figure out which one was which and they hated it.

"We have to do something." George answered. "I'm sick of mum calling me George. Either fix your arm faster or-" George stops as the idea lights up in his head, reminding him of when their mother would use 'Lumos' to light up their bedroom and tuck them in. There were only two solutions in George's mind, two realistic ones at least.

"What?!" Fred asks quickly, finally finding a warmth inside of him at the look in George's eyes. "Tell me!"

"Well," George answers, "We can either make your arm heal faster, which would take magic and a wand, if it's even possible."

"That we don't have." Fred fills in.

"Or we could be identical again." George says with a smile.

"Are you saying-" Fred asks, not wanting to be the first to say it.

"I am, brother." George answers, a devilish smirk on the young boy's face as the two run off to plot.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" George asked nervously a few hours later, looking down from the top of the broom shed at the ground. It looked so far away, so far down.

"That's how I broke mine." Fred answers, looking down at where George's eyes stared with a gulp. "Just make sure you land on your right arm." He said, causing George to nod his head in fear.

"And it only hurts for a little while?" George asks, trying to figure out exactly how far of a fall that was. It had to have been at least two of their father, a long drop but not nearly as far as what Fred had fallen.

"I didn't cry." Fred says with a comforting smile.

"Okay." George answers, now determined. "Do it. Push me."

He felt a hard push on his back as George did like Fred had told him to, placing his right arm up for protection. The two boys hadn't seen the rock protruding out of the ground as George hit the ground and one of the bones in his forearm, his radius, cracked against the grey rock. George screamed out in agony, grabbing his arm in pain from the instant break.

"You said it didn't hurt." He growls under his teeth as Fred jumps down and runs over to his brother.

"I didn't have a rock force it's way between my bone." Fred answers, fear covering his face. "But we look alike."

The tone in Fred's voice, the way it was definate, a slight smirk on his face as he said it took some of the pain away from George's arm as Molly ran outside, picking George up in her arms.

"What happened?!" She said, terrified for her son. "What did you boys do? I told you to be more careful." She said as she put George over her shoulder and headed inside to take him too to St. Mungo's. As the fear took her over, Molly didn't know what got into her. Maybe it was the fact that simply the day before she had experienced the same thing with Fred. Maybe it was the rush of everything or the overwhelming adrenaline. Molly was unsure as, for the first time, she mixed up her son's names.

"George, go get Bill and Charlie." She hollers at Fred before turning around to walk into the house. Fred stared at her back in shock before smiling at George who was looking over Molly's shoulder still. Softly, George smiles back.

"But mum, I'm George." He says, picking his head up off of Molly's shoulder and looking her in the eyes.

"And you call yourself our mother." Fred answers with a laugh as he shakes his head, thankful to have an identical twin again.


	22. 12 Ash and Unicorn Hair

"Come along," Molly said, guiding her seven children down Diagon Alley as a mother duck would guide her ducklings to a pond to swim, occasionally stopping for one of them to admire something in a shop window before rushing them along to the next location. "We have two to shop for this year and I want to get home in time to make supper for your father. Now Bill, go try on a new set of robes. Charlie will wear your old ones." She says firmly, pointing at Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. "We really can't afford a new pair but I can't exactly have you two sharing robes, now can I?" She said with a laugh.

"How many more days, mum?" Charlie asks impatiently for the fifth time this week as they walk along, causing Molly to sigh heavily.

"One less day than yesterday." She says firmly, "Eight."

"I can't wait." Charlie says with excitement. "Think about it." He says to Percy, who was making sure that Ginny and Ronniekins didn't wander off too far. "All the creatures I get to read about. And Quidditch. I can't wait for Quidditch."

"I read that first-years aren't allowed to play Quidditch." Percy answers firmly in a know-it-all voice. He had just turned eight only days prior and was now on a "I know more than you do," phase, leaving everyone pulling out their hair whenever he corrected them.

"So!" Charlie answers in frustration. "I can still watch the others play. Besides, I get to play next year." He said, trying to be optimistic.

"Fine." Percy answers, "Do what you like."

"I will." Charlie says before looking over at Olivander's Wand Shop. "Mum, can we go in there and get my wand?!" He asked impatiently. "Please?!"

Molly nodded her head, glad that Charlie was excited about going to Hogwarts. "Percy, take the others over to Sugarplum's Sweets. One treat a piece." She says, carefully putting two galleons in Percy's hand. "And no more than that. There simply isn't enough room in Olivander's for all of us."

Percy nodded his head as he walked with the others over to Sugarplums, getting Fred a licorice wand, George got a 'plain lollipop' according to him, although he exchanged one too many smirks with Fred for Percy's likings, and Ronniekins picked himself out another Chocolate Frog, which wound up covering his face. Percy, not one for the surprises of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Jelly Beans, simply bought himself and Ginny both Chocolate Cauldrons. The group of kids ate their treats outside of the shop, all of them except for George who said he was saving his for later, and Fred who shared his licorice wand with his twin.

As Molly led Charlie into Olivander's, Charlie saw a girl standing up at the front desk, waving a wand before it blew up in her face. Her hair was pink, an odd color in Charlie's mind for anyone's hair to be, as she sighed heavily.

"This isn't it either." She said with a sigh, looking up at her mother who had black hair, pale white skin, and dark eyes, almost reminding Charlie of the color of a rich chocolate candy. "Maybe I'm just not meant to go to Hogwarts."

"Of course you are Nymphadora." Her mother answers with a smile as Olivander goes back to the back of the shop to look for another wand. Charlie watches as the girl, Nymphadora, flinches at the sound of her name. _She must not like her name much, _he thinks to himself as her mother answers. "We just have to find the perfect wand for you, dear." She says, brushing the girl's hair back in comfort.

"Try this one Miss Tonks," Olivander told Nymphadora as he handed her the wand before looking at her mother. "It's a bit of a stretch but I am thinking it may work. Remember when I sold you and your sisters your first wands?" He asked with a smile. "This one seems to have some similar traits to theirs."

The mother nodded her head as Nymphadora swished the wand and it sparked a yellow spark.

"That's it!" Olivander answers with a smile. "I had to go based off of your family's wands instead of just your own Andromeda." He says with a sigh. "It is a ten inch, like yours, dragon heartstring, like Bellatrix, and Hawthorn, like Narcissa's. This one was a little bit more difficult to find, but I did manage to find the one." He said, proud of himself.

"Thank you sir!" Nymphadora answers, running out the door past Charlie with her wand as Andromeda follows her out after handing Olivander a handful of galleons.

"They grow up so fast." She says with a proud smile to Molly before walking out.

"Yes, yes they do." Molly answers, putting her hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Go on Charlie, find your wand." She says, thankful that they weren't as tight on money now as what they were whenever Bill was looking for his wand. They were still tight on money, but it wasn't nearly as bad.

"Ah yes, another one of the Weasleys." Olivander said with pride. "Here, try this one." He says, handing Charlie a wand. Charlie stares at the wand, knowing he needed to do the same thing that the girl named Nymphadora did. He swishes it, causing a few wands to fly off the shelf. "Well, not this one." Olivander says, taking it back.

Charlie couldn't help but wonder how the man could be so patient. Every time a new student came in, swishing who-knows how many wands before they found the perfect one for them, destroying his store in the process just for him to hand them another one and them destroy the shop with that one too. It reminded him of anything Fred and George got their hands on, which caused him to smile half-heartedly.

"Try this one," Olivander says, handing him a second wand. "Twelve inch, pine, with Phoenix tail feather." Charlie does the same, causing a minor explosion from the end of his wand. "Hmmm...We are getting closer." He said, taking the wand back to the back and returning with another. "This one." He said, waiting patiently.

Charlie feels it. The wand was the same length as the last but the wood felt different. Softly, he swishes that one as a small blue spark comes from the end.

"Excellent!" Olivander says, clapping his hands together with pride. "Twelve inch ash with Unicorn hair. Great choice, although you know, it is the wand that chooses the wizard." He whispers to Charlie who nods his head softly.

"So, it chose me to own it?!" Charlie says, staring down at the wand.

"Yes it did." Olivander answers as Molly hands him five Galleons. Olivander looks down at the money before handing her three of them back. "Hard times Mrs. Weasley." He said with a wink. "Consider it a repeated customer discount."

Molly nodded her head softly in appreciation before guiding Charlie out of the store and meeting back up with Percy, Bill, and the others. As she guides them into the book store, Charlie looks over at his older brother.

"The Monster Book of Monsters," He says, reading Bill's list. "I am jealous." He couldn't wait to start reading that book too, finding out what kind of other animals were in it.

"Don't be," Bill answers calmly. "There will be plenty of monster books at Hogwarts. Their library is huge, floor to ceiling nothing but books." He says, causing Charlie's eyes to light up. "You will love it there."

Charlie nods his head in excitement before turning around and facing the twins. "You know," He says, remembering how Olivander's shop was torn up by everyone's wands. "You two should open up your own wand shop, you would love the explosions." He says, causing them to look at each other in confusion.


	23. Charlie's Train Ride In

Charlie stood at platform 9 3/4, his mouth dropping open at the sight of the black and red train in front of him. Sure he had seen it for the past two years when his parents had sent Bill off to Hogwarts, but this time was different. HE was going to Hogwarts. HE was going to ride the train. HE was going to get sorted, to learn magic and get to play Quidditch. This time it wasn't about Bill going off, it was Charlie. He got to be sorted and enjoy Hogwarts for himself.

"Come on," Bill said walking up behind him, pushing his own trolley. "Where do you think you are going to get sorted?" He asked, causing Charlie to gulp with fear as Fred and George ran through the barrier separating them from the muggles. What if he was put in Hufflepuff? Or worse, Slytherin? He didn't see him having Slytherin in him, but what if the Sorting Hat did?

Arthur stood beside the boys, three-year-old Ronniekins holding his father's right hand as Arthur put his left hand on Charlie's shoulder with pride. "It don't matter where you get sorted." He said, easing Charlie's discomfort slightly. "You will be great at what you do."

Charlie softly nodded his head, still worried while Molly walked through the barrier with Percy and Ginny. "What happens at the sorting again?" He asked, looking over at his older brother.

Bill looks over at Charlie with a smile, knowing he had already told him at least five times in the past week. "All the do is call your name in the Great Hall. You go up there and Professor McGonagall puts this ugly old hat on your head. Then, the hat talks to you inside your head. Only you can hear it. After it talks, it makes a decision and hollers out which House you are in. If you are brave and daring, they will put you in Gryffindor." He said as Percy listened intently. "If you are smart and want to learn, Ravenclaw. If you are sly and cunning, the hat will pick Slytherin and if you are loyal and patient you will go in Hufflepuff."

"I'm probably going to be a Hufflepuff." Charlie says with a sigh. "Patient and Just." He said, his voice mopey.

"As long as you're not a Slytherin." Fred says happily.

"Yea, not Slytherin." George answers.

"We will be proud of you no matter what house you go into," Molly tells Charlie in comfort, wiping some dirt off his cheek.

"Hey, I know you!" A little girl about Charlie's age says, running up to him. He looked at the girl confused, not recognizing her. Her mousy brown hair was up in pigtails, but her face looked familiar. Her dark eyes twinkled with excitement, causing her whole face to light up. "You were buying a wand at the same time I was, at Olivanders. I'm Tonks."

Charlie looked around confused, not remembering seeing her in Olivanders. Maybe she had the wrong boy, maybe she thought he was someone else. "I'm sorry?" He asked as Molly smiled, happy that he had already made a friend. Maybe Hogwarts was all he needed to come out of his shell.

The little girl giggled happily. "Hold on," She said, closing her eyes to focus as her hair turned a bright pink, reminding him. "Does that look better?"

"Oh yea," Charlie answers, "I remember you now but how did you do that?"

The girl giggled again causing Fred to nudge George and smile. The twins couldn't help but wonder. Maybe she liked him. "I'm a metamorphmagus." She answered, her words precious. "It means I can change at will. That's how mum and dad knew I was a witch like mum and not a muggle like dad." She says firmly. "It's the only magic I know right now, but one day I will learn more."

"Me too," Charlie answered quickly, causing Molly to look at him in shock. He was being outgoing, talking to someone other than family and it was more than one or two words. "I want to learn about all the magical creatures there are. Fly on a fire-breathing dragon."

"And fight bad guys." Tonks pipes in with excitement.

"And see giant spiders." Charlie says, just as enthusiastic.

"Yea!" Tonks answered, nearly jumping for joy. "Hey, want to go sit with me on the train? I have money for the trolley. I can get us some chocolate cauldrons or licorice wands."

"Okay," Charlie answers, grabbing his trolley as he hurried over to the train. Molly felt tears coming to her eyes as Bill walked off as well, loading up his things on the Hogwarts Express as the last whistle blew, warning all students to board the train or it would leave without them.

Arthur wrapped his arm around his wife as she watched Charlie through the window. She watched him playing with his wand, flicking it as he had watched her do in the kitchen countless times while the little girl beside him laughed. He seemed to be taking to the thought of being away from home okay, possibly too okay. As the train started to roll forward and the other kids stared at it in awe Molly put her head in Arthur's chest, crying as Arthur pat her head softly and smiled with pride.

"They will be fine," He promises. "Come on, let's go home."


	24. Vexatious Vehicles

As Molly brushed Ginny's hair, she noticed it was starting to get longer as she had just turned two only a month prior. Her hair was perfectly straight, almost reminding Molly of a horse's mane, and now, though thin, it nearly hit her shoulders. Molly couldn't help but smile at the beauty her young daughter was already developing, her skin just pale enough that her red hair fit her petite stature perfectly. The young girl wouldn't need make-up when she got older, as Molly could see. She had enough natural beauty that make-up would only dampen her natural beauty.

"There you go, off now." Molly said, pulling the brush away from the young girl's hair as she ran over to Percy, looking over at his book with a face of interest.

"Come here," Percy said with a smile, patting beside himself on the couch as Ginny climbed up next to him. It was weird for him, being the oldest one home now. It felt almost surreal, trying to keep track of what everyone was doing and keeping the younger four out of trouble. He couldn't understand how Bill or Charlie could do it, but then again, they weren't as determined to keep Fred and George out of trouble as Percy was. Percy knew the trouble that the twins could get into. He knew how destructive they could be and he made it his own personal goal to stop them before it became too much for his mother and father to handle.

Ginny sat down patiently, her brown eyes wide as she listened to Percy read to her "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" out of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which he had gotten the year before for Christmas. It was one of her favorite stories to listen to, hearing how Sir Luckless fell in love with Amata once he came out of the water. It sounded so magical and perfect. She wanted a hero like that someday. Percy stops the story right as Asha started to feel better, hearing the front door open.

"I'm home," Arthur calls out from the doorway as he steps in, taking off his shoes with exhaustion and Ronniekins, who was busy trying to distract Fred and George from the arithmetic they already were distracting each other from at the kitchen table, runs in and hugs his father, Ginny shortly behind. "And I brought something with me." He says with pride, causing Percy, Fred, and George to look in his direction with invigorated grins. Molly raised an eyebrow at him as she walked in, wiping her hands off on a towel. "Well, we thought it was enchanted," Arthur answers, shuffling his feet as he looked down. "But it wasn't and it was too big for the office so I-"

"So you brought it home," Molly answers matter-of-factly, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"Well, yea." Arthur answers, holding his head down as if he were one of the children getting punished. "But come look at it first. I just want to see how it works. You know, the way that muggles adapt to not having magic. The way they use eckeltricity and they have these...these things called cars-"

"Is that what you brought home Arthur Weasley?!" Molly asks sternly, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, yes. But ONLY to take it apart and see how it works." He says quickly, holding up a finger in his defense. "Just come and look at it."

Molly sighed heavily, shaking her head at her husband with a light smile. She couldn't stay mad at him for very long. "All right then, come on kids. Let's go see this car your father has gotten JUST to take it apart." She said, eying Arthur as he nodded his head excitedly, almost looking like one of the children himself.

She didn't have to say anything else before Fred and George jump up from their seats at the table, more than happy to be doing anything but the basic arithmetic their mother had placed in front of them. Percy followed quickly, his book being abandoned on the couch as he went to see what had been sent home with his father from the Ministry and Ronniekins and Ginny followed, Ginny's walk still a little bit of a waddle.

As the five kids stared on at the car in front of them, a robin's egg blue colored vehicle with an odd shape to it. It wasn't really square enough of a car to be considered square, or round enough to be considered round, but the car had more of just a weird shape, round up front and then square in back.

"Car?" Ronniekins asked, pointing at it before looking at Fred and George, who both just nodded their heads, their mouths dropped open in shock. Percy slowly walked up to the vehicle in front of them, peering in the window.

"Here, I'll show you." Arthur answers, opening all four doors. "Sit inside."

The kids didn't have to be told twice as Fred and George jump up front, George turning the wheel left and right as Fred looks inside a little storage area in front of the passenger seat and softly moved the levers between him and George, waiting for something to happen. Meanwhile, Ronniekins and Ginny were in the back seat, Ronniekins standing up in the seat, looking out the back glass at Molly, who was still shaking her head in disbelief while Ginny sat quietly, toying with the rough dark blue and yellow striped seats. Percy, meanwhile, stood behind the car and ran his hand over the smooth robin's egg paint.

The rest of the evening, the kids took turns eying the car. Dinner was very distracting as Fred and George tried looking around Molly, who was sitting across from them at the table, at the car out the window.

"Eat your roast," Molly barked fiercely, tired of the boys constantly being distracted by the car in the front yard. "There is plenty of time to look whenever you are done eating."

The twins both look back down at their plates, staring at the roast in front of them as Fred pushed his carrots around the plate, scattering them out to make it appear like he had eaten more of them and George stabbed a potato, biting into it without appeal. They would occasionally take turns glancing up, just peaking long enough to see if Molly was still watching them. When she finally turned, trying to get Ronniekins to take the baby carrot out of his nose, Fred nudged George hard in the ribs. They saw their opportunity as the two of them quickly pick their heads up, trying to look out the window at the car at the same time in anticipation.

"Mother, their doing it again!" Percy tattles, holding his head with pride as Molly glares a punishing look at both boys, causing them to melt down into their seats.

"I think you boys are done eating," She says, standing up and walking around to the other side of the table. "Come along now, time for bed." She says, shoo'ing them out of the room and up the stairs. "You have ten minutes. I want teeth brushed, pajamas on, lights out."

The twins quickly ran up the stairs as directed. If nothing else, their bedroom window pointed out to the part of the yard where the car was parked. The two boys stared out at the car, admiring the headlights, the shiny handles on the doors, the oversized windshield wipers. Sitting at their window, in their matching blue and red pajamas, they watched the car until the sky started to turn burnt orange and then finally purple, making the vehicle nothing more than a shadow in the darkness.

"What did you do with the pop?" Fred finally asked George with concern, having not seen it since they got back to the Burrow.

"It's hidden." George answers as he grabs his covers, pulling them up to his chin as he settled in for sleep to take over.

"Where at?" Fred asks, knowing his brother didn't keep anything from him.

"I don't remember," The twin replies with concern. "That's the problem. We will find it tomorrow though."

"What do you know about acid pops, even?" Fred says, rolling over in bed to face his brother.

"I know the shock on his face will be hillarious. When we find it, of course. No fears dear brother. Wherever I hid it, we will find it before Percy."

"I have faith."

"Good night George." George says with a smile, peaking over his blankets at his twin.

"Good night Fred." Fred answers, mirroring the smile.


	25. Percy's Paradise

**A/N: Sorry for posting my new chapter so late…have been going through an on-going custody battle for my step-son and am just now starting to get visitations of him, so things have been a bit chaotic here at the Malfoy Manor ((Get it, LaTashaMalfoy :P)) Anyway, I wanted to apologize and let 'guest' who reviewed know that yes, I did in fact intend to finish the story however family always comes first ((Which is what I thought this story would show)) and I have to take care of my family before I can write. Once again, I apologize for any inconvienance. Also, I have been off a year in the schooling of the boys. I am writing this as though Charlie went to school in 1983, and whenever I did the math according to wiki, it is 84-85, 85-86, 86-87, 87-88, 88-89, 89-90, and then 90-91. He actually started school in 1984, not 1983. So therefore, we should be a year ahead. Charlie, in this chapter, is turning 12, Percy should be (just turned) 8, the twins 6, Ronniekins 4, and Ginny 3… So, I will leave it up to the readers to decide how I should fix it. If you all want me to go back and readjust from Bill's schooling, I will. Otherwise, I can simply change the dates on my next chapter, upping everyone's age a year and continue on with the story properly. It is your guys' decision. Please let me know what everyone thinks in their reviews…majority rules. Thank you for being forever loyal.**

Molly quietly stepped out of the living room before turning back around and looking at her two sleeping toddlers before sighing in relief. She had finally gotten Ronniekins and Ginny to lay down for a nap after sending Fred and George outside to cause trouble while Percy sat silently at the kitchen table, working on his arithmetic. Nothing ever seemed more difficult in Molly's daily routine than trying to lay both Ronniekins and Ginny down, at a mere two and three years old, with the twins in the house so, unless it was rainy, which just made Molly's day that much harder, the twins went outside for the hour of naptime.

"We are almost done with our duel naptime." She says comforting herself as she walked past Percy, sitting down across from him, looking at the letter she had received earlier that morning from Hogwarts.

"Next year mother." The eight-year-old said with a smile, causing Molly to shake her head.

"I really don't know where you started this 'mother' and 'father' stuff," She says with a sigh. "But honestly Percy, I hoped it was only a phase." She mumbles before opening up the first letter.

_Dear Mum, _

_I am doing good in school. Snape is still making potions extremely difficult. Had to do a confusion concoction, and the directions were definitely confusing. I thought I was ready for potions whenever you used to show me with your famous peanut butter fudge how to brew a potion, but now I'm not thinking I do so much. Trelawney is something else too. She is always talking about 'having the gift' and 'divine powers'. It's really weird, Mum. But at least there are other classes that aren't quite so bad. McGonagall teaches Transfiguration and that is pretty interesting, to say the least. If nothing else, it is fun watching a cat jump off a desk and turn into your Professor. Charlie and Tonks (We aren't allowed to call her Nymphadora, she said, even though that is her name), they do a lot of studying together. They also talk about all kinds of things, finding Dragons and wars. There is a lot of talk of Harry Potter still here, Mum. I don't see what the big deal is still. It has been two years but they are still talking about it, calling him 'The Boy Who Lived.' Anyway, I was wondering…since I passed all of my exams last year…and am planning on passing them all again this year, if you would be willing to sign a permission slip saying that I am allowed to go to Hogsmeade. I promise, Mum, I will be on my best behavior and don't even try using this to bribe me to get a haircut. It will never work. Tell everyone hi and that I miss them._

_Love, _

_Bill_

Molly folded up the letter. She would write Bill back later, including a note saying that he could, in fact, go to Hogsmeade with the other students. He would be excited about that. She then followed by wrapping up a piece of nut brittle for Charlie's 12th birthday present. It wasn't much but she was sure it would make his day. Besides, it was only a matter of time before the boys came back for Christmas Break and she would have her home full of laughter again. How she missed the Burrow being filled with laughter.

"Mother, what does the Minister do?" Percy asks, looking up from his arithmetic attentively.

Molly couldn't help but look at her son, being so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she had drifted off into a daze. "Well," She answers, trying to think about how to explain it to the eight year old. "It's the highest ranking official in the Ministry." She says, thinking about it. "They are the big boss. They talk to the muggle Prime Minister about things and are in charge of all the other departments, like dad's. The Minister also passes laws and hears trials if someone does something wrong, like majorly wrong."

"Like Death Eater cases?" Percy asks, having heard his mother and father talk about the Death Eaters late at night and how his father still suspected that Lucius Malfoy was one of those who was still a loyal Death Eater.

"Where did you hear about those?!" Molly asks, her face now grave with concern.

"I heard you and father talking about them." Percy answers softly, bowing his head as if he were being scolded.

"Well….yes…like Death…Death Eaters." Molly answers, not even wanting to say the words in front of her son but knowing he deserved the truth and he was now old enough to hear it. He would probably hear it anyway now that Charlie and Bill were both off at Hogwarts. "The Minister for Magic has a very important job though Percy. He has a lot to be responsible for." She says, reminding him that it wasn't just a title, that it was a duty as well.

"That's what I'm going to do." Percy answers, once again finding relief in the Ministry, a place where everything was order and planned. It wasn't chaos. It was quiet like this, all the time. He could make people stop misbehaving, even if he couldn't here at the Burrow. It was his sanctuary. And he hadn't even seen the inside of it yet.


	26. Ghost Stories and Spiders

Molly could still feel a slight hint of crispness that summer afternoon in the air as she loaded up the Anglia. "I still can't believe you convinced me to take this car." She tells Arthur firmly before packing another trunk into the car. "Although I do have to admit, even for a camping trip, it is roomy."

Arthur nodded his head, not daring to tell his wife it was an extension charm he had put on the car. "That it is, Molly." He answers, "And much easier than making the kids take the stuff by hand."

Molly couldn't argue the fact as she called out to the kids, the seven-year-old twins being the first to come out, excited about their first camping trip as they kept their hands buried deep in their pockets, trying not to look suspicious.

"Not a single prank out of the two of you, do I make myself clear?!" Molly asks firmly, her hands on her hips. Both twins nod, their faces serious. Meanwhile, five-year-old Ronniekins comes running out, jumping quickly into the car and moving over to the furthest window.

"I wills not sit in the middle. Not agains." He says firmly, holding on tightly to the door on the passenger side as Molly laughed.

"You are sitting in between your father and I Ronniekins." She answers with a smile. "You and Ginny both."

"But dat's de middle." Ronniekins moans as Molly gives him one of her 'don't sass me' looks and with a groan, he does as he's told, getting out and letting Fred and George get in. Charlie follows shortly behind, his nose stuffed in Bill's _Monster Book of Monsters._ He doesn't even pick his head up as he climbs into the Anglia. He was currently reading about the Limax, a legless, serpent-like creature who has four arms that was capable of using man-made tools. Tonks had told him they would go hunting for one in the Forbidden Forest when school started back up if he promised to let her fight off anything bad they had found and, since he didn't see a problem with it and the Limax wasn't a very dangerous creature, he figured it would be worth studying on at the very least.

"BILL!" Molly yelled out, waiting for her oldest son to appear as he quickly did, eight-year-old Percy following closely behind holding the hand of four year old Ginny.

"You have to behave, okay Ginny?" Percy asked as if the two of them had been reciting what would happen on the camping trip. He turned around to face her as Bill got in the backseat of the Anglia next to Charlie.

"Otay," The four-year-old answers, her pigtails bobbing up and down as she nodded her head with determination.

"Now get in the car." Percy told her, climbing in next to Bill as Molly got in the front passenger seat, having Ginny and Ronniekins climb in next to her.

Arthur grabbed the last of the trunks, placing it neatly in the trunk before smiling to himself as he got into the driver's seat.

"These cars are rather spacious," Molly answers with awe, "What a great way to travel Arthur. This is so much easier than Portkeys or Floo'ing, and much more comfortable."

Arthur simply smiled to himself. He didn't have the heart, or the courage, to tell his wife that the only reason the car was so spacious was an extension charm. He couldn't break the news to her that a normal Ford Anglia couldn't hold nine people. Instead he simply started the car, sending it on it's way deep into the woods.

As the car headed into the clearing, Molly's eyes grew wide at the beauty of the clearing, where Amos Diggory was already putting up his own tent. The lush green grass, looking more like a light green comforter covering the forest ground in the sunlight than a forest floor, surrounded by trees that offered comforting shade. She could only stare in awe at the spot her husband had picked out as the kids barreled out of the car, Fred and George running over to go talk to a now nine-year-old Cedric, who seemed to have grown an extra foot since they had last seen him. The boy was still as tall and lean as ever, having a strong jawline and pasty white skin that exposed his lean body. He was growing up to be very handsome but Molly couldn't help but be disappointed in the way the boy held himself higher than her twin sons, only a year younger.

"It really is beautiful," She whispers, looking back out at the clearing while Charlie ran out into the trees, quickly looking for fairies in the lower branches of the trees and Ginny and Percy going over to a shady spot for him to continue reading the story he had read her back at the Burrow, The Wizard and the Hopping Pot from _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._

"Amos picked the spot out." Arthur confesses, not wanting to take credit for Amos' discovery. "He said it would be a good spot for Charlie. Plenty of magical creatures for him to look at and explore."

"Nothing too dangerous, I hope." Molly answers, watching her second oldest son look up into the trees searching for the light peach colored human-like creatures. Arthur dropped the bags he had in his hands from unpacking the car to wrap his arms around her.

"Don't worry so much Molly-Wobbles." He tells her, pulling her close. "Amos deals with magical creatures for a living. He wouldn't put any of the kids at risk." He says, squeezing her softly with his arm before returning to unpacking. "Bill, come help me put the tent up." He said, waving the long-haired redhead over. Bill, now fourteen, was tall and lean for his age, causing him to look more like a younger version of Arthur than anything. His long hair was pulled back into it's usual ponytail due to the heat, causing Molly to shake her head.

"AND WHAT IS THAT WILLIAM WEASLEY!" She hollered out suddenly, causing all the other kids to jump as her hands met her hips. Bill couldn't help but stare at his mother in fear, his blue eyes wide with fear. "FIRST YOU WANTED YOUR HAIR LONG, NOW YOU HAVE AN EARRING!?" She hollers, looking at his left ear, a small earring with a fang dangling from it obvious with his hair pulled back.

"It's fine mum," He answers, trying to remain calm but also trying to defend himself. "It's only an ear piercing. A little hole."

"AND YOU BETTER HOPE I DON'T PUT ANOTHER HOLE IN YOUR HEAD! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! I LET YOU GO TO HOGSMEADE AND YOU COME BACK WITH AN EARRING! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND HERE YOU ARE GETTING YOUR EAR PIERCED! WHAT IS NEXT?! YOUR TONGUE! YOUR EYEBROW!" She turns around, looking at Charlie, who was now staring at his mother instead of the fairies who were snickering in the tree. "Of course, I don't blame you Charlie. There's no way you could have stopped him." She says in a soothing voice before turning back around to Bill, her face still red with fury. "NOW, I SUGGEST YOU LEAVE IT AT ONLY AN EAR PIERCING! YOUR FATHER WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!" She says, storming off in a fury.

Bill looks at Arthur with shame before picking up the bag with the tent. "It does look rather...rad, if I do say so myself." Arthur answers with a smile, nudging his son in a poor attempt to be cool, forcing Bill to crack a smile as they wander over to the shadowed treeline, using their wands to pitch the tent. "Sure was nice of Perkins to let us borrow this tent." He said with a smile. "It looks so muggle."

"It looks worn out, dad." Bill answered, looking at the tent and raising an eyebrow. "And I think it was at one point white."

"Yes," Arthur answers with a sigh, patting his son on the shoulder after using his wand to make the last peg screw itself into the ground. "It probably was but this tent has had plenty of use. Took weeks of asking Perkins to borrow it. He uses it just about every weekend. Then, they wanted me to work this weekend. Hated to turn down the overtime, but told them this weekend was about you kids." He says with a smile.

"Really?" Bill asks, shocked that his dad was missing out on the work. He knew how badly they needed the money.

Arthur simply nodded his head, "Well, come on then. Let me show you the inside son." He said with pride, holding open the flap to the tent. Bill followed his father into the tent, his eyes widening at the sight inside. The tent was spacious, more spacious than the Burrow even, having four rooms that were each separated from the main area with only the same flimsy cloth that went to the opening, but that wasn't what had Bill in awe. The tent was massive on the inside, big enough for all of the Weasley children to run around and still have plenty of room. The main room held a couch and four chairs and, although it was decorated in a horrible pink patterned walls that vaguely reminded him of something his Great Aunt Muriel would have in her mothball covered house and bright orange roof that looked like something out of a bad nightmare, it seemed perfect for a weekend getaway.

"This is brilliant dad," He said in awe, walking through the main room to the back of the tent where there was a kitchen table long enough for all of them to eat at and still have plenty of elbow room. "Look at this table, and there are already bunk beds in this room for us boys." He said, staring at the three sets of matching bunk beds in one of the rooms, another containing two smaller beds, resembling toddler beds, and the last room having a neatly made full size bed for Molly and Arthur.

"It will be a nice change of pace." Arthur answers with a smile.

Later on that night, after a busy day of the twins attempting to prank Percy as Ronniekins followed along quietly, them showing off to Cedric while Bill consistently tried to redirect them while still remaining the 'cool' big brother. Charlie had spent the day searching for magical beasts out of Bill's Monster Book of Monsters, occasionally asking Mister Diggory for help, and when not being bothered by Fred and George, Percy sat quietly, enjoying the fresh sunlight as he read quietly to Ginny, who listened to his fairy tales with an intense interest.

As darkness fell upon the campsite, Arthur and Amos gathered wood and put it in the center of where the boys sat on rocks while Molly softly rocked four-year-old Ginny to sleep.

"Care to do the honors?" Amos asked Arthur with a smile as Arthur pointed his wand at the fire.

"Incendio." Arthur says, pointing his wand at the wood pile, causing it to go aflame. The kids all stared in awe. "You know, I hear that muggle children tell ghost stories around the campfire when they go camping." He says, breathing in the comforting smell of the burning lumber.

"Why would they tell ghost stories?" Charlie asked in confusion. "There are ghosts at Hogwarts and they aren't _that _entertaining." He says, trying to understand what Arthur was talking about.

"They call them ghost stories." Arthur answers, "But really all they are are scary stories. Maybe you kids can come up with a few. I'm going to go help your mother tuck Ginny in." He says, as the boys wonder if that was really a wink they just saw their father give or if it was just a flame in the fire.

"I have one..." Bill whispered as Arthur left, disappearing into the tent. The other boys moved closer, quietly listening in. "I heard this story from a seventh year one night in the Common Room." He says as the boys lean in closer. "Once upon a time, there was this creature. A big mean creature, that lived deep in a secret corridor of the Hogwarts. The place that the creature lived was called the Chamber of Secrets. It had eyes of fury, deep red eyes of fury that could kill you simply from looking at it." He said, trying to make the magical creature sound even more scary as all the other boys stared, their eyes filled with both awe and fear. "One night, someone let the creature loose, and it wanted revenge on whoever locked it away. The creature moved up and down the corridors with secrecy, making little noise as it snuck past sleeping students." He said, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"One little girl, her name was Myrtle, was crying in one of the loos, scared for her life." Bill says, trying to add anticipation to the story, "The creature snuck up to her, causing her to hear it outside the girl opened the door, facing her murderer in the face. The next day, they found her laying there dead on the ground. The creature had disappeared."

Ickle Ronniekins shivered in thought of a giant spider sneaking into the loo and killing a student as Molly walked back out of the tent. "Come along kids." She says, her voice motherly. "It's time for bed."

Ronniekins spent the entire night staring up at the naval orange ceiling of the tent, imagining the giant legs of a spider creeping up to his bed, it's red eyes staring into his own before killing him. He shivered, covering his head up with the scratchy blanket that covered his bed before shivering in fear and slowly falling asleep.

**A/N: Okay, I know at first glance, this chapter may seem a bit off the wall, but I have done my research. And I quote, but do not claim credit for (because my writing is far from J.K's masterpiece)...**

"**You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once...might've been Bill." COS, Chapter 9. Page 145**


	27. The Unbreakable Vow

**A/N: Have a few things to comment off of the previous reviews. **

**feyfollower: I agree, Ginny did seem closer to the twins than she did to Percy, although those two did appear close in CoS, I am thinking that the twins wouldn't want to be close to her until she is old enough to pertake in their pranks, but that's just me.**

**just1cause2im3amazing: Leave it to you to point out the age gap there. Lol. :P But...umm...can I play off that no one knows Cedric's birthday so he had just turned 9? :P**

"It's a brilliant idea, Georgie-boy, but are you sure Ronniekins will do it?" Fred asked in their upstairs bedroom as the twins sat on their identical twin sized beds, both having bedspreads colored in green and white to represent their favorite Quidditch team, the Irish National Quidditch Team, as Molly squealed downstairs with pride that her second son had made Seeker for the Gryffindor Team.

"Well, mum is distracted enough to get her wand to do it." George answers with a devious smile as he listened half-heartedly to his mother's squeals of excitement downstairs.

"That she is." Fred answers, mirroring the smile.

"And Ronniekins is willing to do anything to make us happy." He said with satisfaction.

"Even if it means vowing to de-gnome the garden any time mum tells us to do it." Fred says, finally seeing the fullest extent of the satisfaction the duo would get out of the spell.

"Precisely," George answers, not another word needing to be said as both twins jump up simultaneously, running down the stairs with excitement. "Mum, we heard the news!" George says with excitement, Molly easily mistaking his gleam of enthusiasm as one of pride for Charlie.

"Does this mean we get to go see him play?!" Fred asks with excitement, his eyes lighting up happily.

"Perhaps." Molly answered, her own face one of pride.

Fred watched as his twin brother moved slowly towards Molly's wand, sitting on the counter, knowing it was his turn to be the distraction.

"Do you think he'll catch the snitch?! And win the Quidditch Cup?! And make it to the World Cup one day?!" He asked, his brown eyes big at the thought of being able to brag about his brother winning the World Cup as George moved slowly closer to the counter.

Molly laughed to herself at Fred's enthusiasm. "It's possible." She answered, smiling at him. "But let's take it one step at a time."

Fred nodded his head as he saw George's fingers wrap around the straight, light colored wand out of the corner of his eye. Quickly he wrapped his arms around Molly's waist, winking at George as his cheek pressed up against his mother's side.

"Go on now," Molly said after hugging her son back, "Both of you." She said, turning around to face George right as he hid the wand in his back pocket, his shirt covering the tip of the wand. "Out, go play. It's such a beautiful day." She insisted, shoo'ing both boys out the kitchen door.

"You got it?" Fred asks with excitement.

George nods his head, running back behind the chicken coop so he could show Fred his beautiful find. Fred quickly followed as the two knelt down. "We will need someone to distract Percy." Fred says, staring at the wand in awe before the two look up at each other, as if reading one another's minds, both saying the name simultaneously.

"GINNY!"

Hiding the wand under a pile of hay that was only used as bedding for the chickens and the pigs, and not likely to be used by the time they got back, the twins went out and searched for their four-year-old sister.

It didn't take long for them to find her, sitting alongside the pigpens, watching a butterfly softly float through the air, almost as if it were dancing peacefully across the sky. The young Ginny could only hope, as she watched the butterfly soar, that one day she could be as beautiful, as free, as the butterfly she watched.

"We were looking for you," Fred says, leaning over the fence on one side of Ginny, hovering over the young girl's right shoulder as George smiled, doing the same over her left.

"We need your help." George answered, a devious smile across his face.

"You need ME?" The young girl asks, her eyes wide with shock and honor as she turned around to face them, pointing at her own chest beneath her green jumper.

"We do." Fred answers.

"And we need it bad." George adds in, causing the girl to smile with excitement.

"We are talking to Ronniekins." Fred told her.

"Percy can't distract us." George filled in.

"So we need you." The twins said in unison.

Ginny smiled at the thought, her teeth showing through the smile. She was proud to be able to help her brothers, in any way that she could, especially since they had never asked for her help before. "What's I sposed to do?" She asked, determination shown upon the young girl's face.

"Keep him busy." George said with determination.

"And distracted." Fred answers.

"In the house." George adds in.

"Yes, in the house would be best." Fred says, catching on to the pure excellence of their idea.

"What you going do?" Ginny asked, curiosity getting the best of her. She knew better than to ask the twins about their pranks but now they were actively involving her. She was a part of their group, a prankster as her mummy would call it. She couldn't let them down.

"We are going to have a talk with Ronniekins." Fred tells her.

"A serious talk." George adds in.

"And you need to distract Percy so he don't interrupt." Fred says.

"Because we know how much you hate it when others interrupt you." George adds in, for special effect.

"'trupting not nice." Ginny answers, thinking about it.

"Now GO! Hurry!" Fred tells her, causing Ginny's eyes to go wide at the exclamation as she runs off, going over to where Percy was, as good boys do, doing as his mother and father asked and feeding the animals.

"Pewcy. Pewcy!" She cried out, tugging on the tail of his shirt as Percy turned around, pushing his new, horn-rimmed glasses further up on his nose. He wasn't too keen on the new glasses but couldn't argue that they made him look more intelligent and they definitely helped with his vision. "Take me 'side. Wead to me. 'Oppity Poppity!" The young child begged, her eyes asking nearly as much as her voice was for Percy to join her.

"I just read that one to you yesterday." Percy answers, really not wanting to read it to her again, but willing to if she really wanted him too.

"I know but it soooo good. Pweeassee Percy?" She begged, poking out her bottom lip as she tugged on his hand. "I sit pewfectwy still. I not make a noise."

"Perfectly?" Percy asks, raising an eyebrow in doubt.

"Pewfectwy. Pwomise." Ginny answers. "Pwease? Pwease? Pwease?" She begs, tugging on his hand with each plea.

Percy looked over at his twin brothers, watching as they sat on the fence, their legs dangling as they kicked them back and forth in the air. They were behaving, possibly too well, Percy thought to himself, but how much trouble could the two boys get into in the twenty minutes it would take him to read his little sister a fairy tale. "Okay," He answers, "But only the one story. Then, we come back outside and you play."

"Otay." Ginny answers, grabbing her brother's hand as she dragged him into the house, turning only momentarily to look at Fred and George as they both gave her a thumbs up at the exact same time. Ginny couldn't help but smile. She had done it. She had made them proud. And now, they would ask for her help much more often...hopefully.

The twins waited, nearly on the edge of the fence, until the door closed behind Ginny and Percy and they disappeared from the window of the rear door before both jumping down, more than excited now and the duo ran over to Ronniekins, who was playing quietly under a shady oak tree with a ball, rolling it against the tree where, because of the incline of the tree root, the ball rolled back into his lap.

"Oh Ickle-ness." Fred called out innocently, possibly too innocently for Ronniekin's likings.

"Ronniekins." George called, imitating Fred's voice perfectly.

Ronniekins ignored the twins, wanting to be a good boy who did normal things and played with a ball and behaved like boys should today until they walked up, Fred grabbing the ball.

"Hey," Ronniekins hollered in frustration, tired of being the youngest boy who was always getting picked on. "I was playing with that."

"And now, you are talking to us." George answers.

"It's magic." Fred tells him.

"Now, we were thinking..."

"Yes, thinking." Fred fills in.

"And we have decided," George tells him.

"After plenty of thought." Fred reminds Ronniekins, who was now sighing, wishing the two of them would just spit out what they were trying to say.

"We want you to make an Unbreakable Vow." George whispers, as if they were telling him about a beautiful secret, catching Ronniekins attention.

"To forever de-gnome the garden if mum asks us to." Fred tells him.

"And if you do..." George answers, holding up a finger before Ronniekins could interrupt.

"We will never call you Ickle Ronniekins again." Fred tells him, causing Ronniekins to sit and think for only a moment.

"Ever?" Ronniekins asks, raising an eyebrow in doubt.

"Beautiful thing about an Unbreakable Vow." George tells him.

"If you break it..." Fred tells his younger brother, before exchanging a glance with George.

"You die." They tell him in unison.

"What do you say _Ronniekins?"_ George asks, putting emphasis on the nickname he knew his little brother was growing to despise.

Ronniekins sat there and thought about it. Five years old is an age where you didn't think much on death. It was comparable with getting caught staying up past your bedtime and getting caught by mum. You did, and you were dead. And he hated the nickname Ronniekins. He didn't want to be called that anymore, but was scared to tell the twins that in fear that they would come up with an even worse nickname.

"Okay," Ronniekins answers, "It's a deal."

"Brilliant." Fred answers with a smile.

"You won't regret this." George confirms, patting Ronniekins on the back. "Let's go out to the Paddock to do it. No way mum and dad can see us out there."

"Why don't you want mum and dad to see us?" Ronniekins asks as Fred and George led the way towards the green clearing surrounded by trees, causing it to look nearly like a sanctuary, Ronniekins little legs following closely behind.

"What do you think mum would say if we told her we would die if we ever called you Ronniekins?" George asked, strutting alongside Fred in front of his younger brother.

"Are you even thinking?" Fred asked, chuckling slightly to himself.

Ronniekins shrugged, he supposed his brothers were right. That would make sense, he supposed, although he hadn't even thought of it himself. He watched as Fred turned around to face him, grabbing on to Ronniekins' small freckled wrist, his own skin cold against Ronniekins' hand as he did the same. George smiled as he waved Molly's wand over the duo's wrists.

Meanwhile, inside the Burrow, Arthur returned home from work, quickly collapsing onto their brown striped sofa as Molly came rushing in.

"Arthur, I got a letter from Charlie!" Molly exclaimed with excitement, as she often did whenever one of the boys wrote her, wiping her flour-covered hands off on her apron. "He made Seeker on the Quidditch Team!" She bragged to her husband as a smile slowly covered his face while Percy sat in the blue and gold chair next to the sofa, reading quietly to Ginny as she listened intently to both Percy and Molly at the same time.

"That's my boy!" Arthur answers, standing up as he quickly hugged Molly. "We should go out, should celebrate. How does the Leaky Couldron sound? You won't have to make dinner for a night?" He asks, hoping Molly would take him up on it.

"Arthur, we can't afford it..." Molly started, feeling defeat, despite wanting a night off from slaving over a hot stove, seeing as how she seemed to have misplaced her wand somewhere there around the Burrow.

"Mollywobbles, we will never really be able to afford to go out and eat." Arthur answers with reason. "It's not everyday one of our boys joins the Quidditch Team. If we can't celebrate now, when can we ever?" He asks, his eyes begging Molly to cave in as much as Percy and Ginny's now were.

Molly sighed, knowing she couldn't argue her husband's point as she looked over at her nine-year-old son and four-year-old daughter. She smiled, wiping off her hands. "Okay, you win. Go get the boys and I will get Ginny cleaned up. We will go out, just this once." She said as Percy smiled widely and Arthur quickly headed towards the back door. "They are down by the Paddock," Molly yells after him, "Have been down there for probably about twenty minutes now!" She says before listening to the back door slam shut, picking up her daughter and placing her on her hip with a smile, shaking her head.

As Arthur headed down the hill towards the Paddock, he could see his other three sons standing there in the center of the clearing, excitement still covering his face until he got closer, seeing the boys standing in an eerily familiar stance. "What are they doing?" Arthur mumbled to himself in questioning before turning an angry beet red in the face as he watched George wave a wand above Fred' and Ronniekinsl arms as they held tightly to each other. "FRED WEASLEY!" He yelled, storming down the hill as George took the wand, hiding it behind his back. "GET IN THE HOUSE RONALD!" He yelled as Ronniekins nodded his head quickly, having never seen such a fury in his father's eyes, nearly being as scared as he was whenever mum yelled at him. The twins were right, Ronniekins was dead now.

The young boy's legs couldn't take him back to the comfort of home fast enough as he ran quickly up the hill as he heard the sound of Fred's cries out in pain and the smacking of Arthur's hand against Fred's buttocks, occasionally jumping at the sound of Fred's yelps.

Flying into the Burrow, Ronniekins ran as quickly as his legs would take him into his parents' room, wrapping his arms around Molly's waist as tears of fear and guilt flowed freely from his eyes. Molly, afraid to ask what had happened to shake her son up so bad, simply cradled her son, holding him close to her before carrying him down to the kitchen, handing the boy a wet cloth to wipe his eyes with.

Ronniekins was still wiping his face, which he had to admit, the cool cloth did make him feel better, whenever Arthur stormed back through the door, two identical tear-stained faces following him.

"What happened?" Molly asks, now concerned.

"I will tell you later." Arthur answers, his voice still darkened with anger as he glanced back at the twins, both of them stopping in their tracks, shivering. Arthur couldn't help but wonder how he could both punish the boys and possibly help with tab for dinner before an idea struck him. "But the Leaky Cauldron will have two extra dishwashers tonight, won't they boys?"

"Ye...yes sir." Fred and George answered in unison, a shiver in their voices.


	28. Arthur's Birthday Surprise

"Come along," Molly said, guiding the children down Diagon Alley, "And DO NOT touch a thing, do I make myself clear?" She asked, holding open the door to the shop as nine-year-old Percy led the way into the shop, holding Ginny's hand as he walked in, Fred and George behind him, and Ronniekins following in the rear. "We are ONLY here for floo powder and nothing else, understand?"

"But Mummmm..." George started, a whine in his voice.

"Don't 'but mum' me," Molly answered firmly, "After what you tried to convince Ronniekins to do, you are lucky I let the two of you come along at all." She answers, looking around the shop front.

"Not like my left buttocks will ever be the same again," Fred whispered softly to George as Molly eyed a broomstick hanging up on the wall, mentally debating on whether or not to buy it for Charlie.

"As it shouldn't be!" She said, turning around with her hands on her hips in a heated fury. "Maybe that will remind the two of you to stop trying to meddle with things you shouldn't touch." She said, smacking George's hand away as he reached for a broken wand there inside of the Junk Shop. "And I think the two of you have had enough meddling with wands lately as well." She says before hearing a soft quack behind her as Ginny's eyes grew wide with fear and she dropped the yellow item back into the box.

"It was duck, mummy." She says, pointing at the box. "Duck made noise."

Molly walked over to the worn, cardboard box, one of it's edges warped and curled up from the dampened basement it had probably called home for years. Flipping up one of the corners of the box, Molly looked down at the words.

_Muggle items. Free._

It was perfect, Arthur's birthday was less than a week away and, although Molly wasn't quite sure what he would do with a box of random muggle items, it couldn't be a bad idea to get them for him.

"Are you sure these items are free?" She asked the shop keep, looking back down at the box. "All of them?"

"Came from a half-blood family." He answered with a chuckle. "Wizarding father died, had an attic full of stuff from him and the muggle mother. Children didn't feel like sorting it out, so we got it all. You have something to do with them," He says with a slight laugh, "You can take them."

Molly nodded her head. "And five sickles worth of floo powder please," She answers, pulling out her coin purse before looking inside of it. "Actually, lets make that four." She said, blushing slightly with embarrassment as the shop keep nodded his head, not even phased by the mistake Molly had made. She wasn't the first witch to come in with just enough money to barely get by. He was actually rather used to the less-than-wealthy wizarding families coming in to buy whatever it was they needed, be it wands, cauldrons, or even clothing. As the exchange was made, he took the four sickles, tucking them away inside the drawer as Molly allowed Fred and George to carry the box and led the children out of the shop.

The following week was hectic as Molly rushed around, trying to make sure that both dinner and Arthur's cake were finished before he got home from work. As Molly cooked, Percy and Ronniekins sat at the kitchen table playing Wizard's Chess. Percy had recently taught Ronniekins how to play, the five-year-old's eyes lighting up anytime Percy took out one of his pawns but by the time Percy had won the fifth or sixth game, Ronniekins had heard enough of Percy's bragging.

"Check Mate." Percy said with a grin, leaning back in his chair as he put his hands behind his head and Ronniekins watched his queen fall once again to her death. "We really need to work on your defensive strategies Ronniekins. Otherwise, you can just guarantee me your queen every time."

"NO!" Ronniekins yelled, slamming his hands down on the table. "I am going to play and play and play. And I am going to keep playing until one day, I beat you Percy!" He said in fury. "Set up the board again."

"Fair enough," Percy answered with a smirk as he set up the board, preparing Ronniekins for yet another loss.

Meanwhile the twins, scared to push Arthur any further into them getting another beating after the last one they had received for the failed attempt at an Unbreakable Vow with Ronniekins, were on their best behavior down at the Paddock, where they played Quidditch, batting back and forth an acorn while Ginny sat down beside a tree and watched.

"Can I pway?" She asked softly, looking up as the twins knocked the acorn around the field.

"No," Fred answers firmly.

"Absolutely not." George says, shaking his head.

"Why not?" She asks as she stood up, her hands on her hips.

"Mum said no." The twins answer in unison.

"Since wen do you two lissen to wat mummy says?" She asks as both boys fly down, barely hovering above the ground.

"Since it benefits us." Fred answers with a smile.

"And it does benefit us." George says, flying off as Fred followed behind.

Ginny huffed off in a fury, her hands on her hips as she stormed back up to the Burrow. She hated it when Fred and George picked on her like that. She had helped them. It wasn't her fault that they had gotten in trouble for whatever it was that they were talking to Ronniekins about and she didn't understand why that, once again, made her the annoying little sister. Sometimes, she only wished she had someone who she could talk to that would understand and listen.

As Ginny stormed into the Burrow, sitting down at the table with her arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face, she watched Ronniekins focus on trying to beat Percy. Her eyes lit up as Ronniekins took out one of Percy's pawns, the little cone shaped body with nothing more than a rounded top exploding as Ronniekin's knight crushed it. She smiled at the sight before Percy placed his next move, his own bishop destroying the horse that Ronniekin's knight sat upon.

"Bad move Wonnie," She said before hearing a familiar pop outside, a smile sweeping over her face. "DADDY!" She yelled out, running over to the door and meeting Arthur as he swept her up into his arms.

"There's my little girl," Arthur said with a smile, hugging the young girl's small frame tightly before walking into the kitchen. "Something smells amazing," He whispered into Molly's ear before kissing her on the cheek as the twins came running in, covered in dirt.

"Happy Birthday dad." They said in unison before running up the stairs to their room, causing Molly to shake her head.

"Bringing dirt in all over the house," She said in a hustle, moving over to clean it up as Arthur glanced over at a box in the corner of the room. The warped box confused him as Arthur backed slowly closer to it, looking upward to glance inside.

His eyes lit up as he saw a handful of unfamiliar items lying in the bottom of the box. On top, a box with knobs and twisties stuck out, a long metal rod hanging from the top of it. Next to that sat a long poker, having a plastic handle and a metal end that pinched off into a wedge. It was only about 8 inches long and looked to be about the size for a muggle tool of some sort, but Arthur's eyes lit up at the sight none-the-less. It was brilliant. An entire box full of random items that the muggles had to be using in their daily livings all sitting right here in a box, in the middle of his kitchen.

Arthur was too preoccupied with the gidgets and gadgets in the water-damaged box to notice the burnt smell beginning to fill the room. Moving closer to the box, he softly picked up the plastic rubber duck that was sitting next to the box of knobs and twisties. He didn't notice as the smell grew stronger or the smoke started to fill the room, mesmerized by the items instead.

Ronniekins covered up his face with the hemming of his shirt, coughing at the odor as Percy looked up from the chess game, noticing the smoke. "MOTHER!" He yelled out, "THE CAKE!" Running over to the stove, he met Molly as she opened the oven, black smoke pouring out of it and filling the room. Tears welled up in Molly's eyes as she looked down at the burnt brick in the pan that was supposed to be Arthur's favorite peanut-butter and banana cake.

"Open the door!" Molly yelled to Percy as she grabbed Ronniekins and Ginny, guiding them out of the kitchen into the livingroom where the smoke wasn't so bad.

The twins barrelled down the stairs at the odd odor, which for once, wasn't coming out of their room and started chanting as they looked around the kitchen at the chaos. "THERE'S A FIRE! THERE'S A FIRE!" They yelled in excitement as Ginny's cries filled the room as well, herself being fearful that the fire could mean she would soon lose her favorite belongings, being only a young child of four not realizing it would also mean that she would lose her home.

Molly coughed at the smoke as she rushed back into the kitchen, the smoke now slowly drifting out the backdoor into the yard as she stared down at the cake that was no longer a cake and felt her heart breaking. It was then, and only then, that she heard, over the chanting of the twins, the coughing of Percy, and the crying of Ginny, and now Ronniekins, a slight 'peep' coming from the other side of her. Molly looked over, seeing Arthur holding the rubber ducky in nothing less then pure astonishment as he squeezed it again, causing another small 'peep' to come out of it.

"What do you think the purpose of this one is, Mollywobbles?" He asked, simply shocked by the duck smiling back at him as he turned it to face her. The duck's innocent, over-sized eyes stared back into Molly's as the tears in her eyes suddenly fell down Molly's cheeks and she ran upstairs to her and Arthur's bedroom and fell to the bed crying.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked after the chaos had died down, he himself calming Ginny and Ronniekins, convincing Percy to clean up the burnt cake, and sending the twins back up to their room. He closed the door behind him, entering the room to see Molly's face buried into her pillow as she sobbed out tears. Walking over, Arthur rubbed her back softly. "Now, now. What's wrong Molly?" He asked, his voice now that of a concerned husband.

"Everything!" Molly cried out, sitting up as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "That was supposed to be a surprise Arthur! All of it was! You were supposed to have a nice dinner with your family and your favorite cake and then see the box whenever the kids showed it to you! It was all supposed to be perfect and it wasn't!" Molly cries out, nearly yelling in defeat and frustration.

"Molly, I already talked to the kids when we were cleaning up the kitchen." Arthur answers, holding his wife close so that she could hear his beating heart against his chest. "And I will tell you just like I told them. We had seven kids. We knew it was going to be chaotic at times, and that money would be tight at times." He says, brushing Molly's red curly hair from her eyes as he looked down into them. "The chaos is perfect. The birthday was perfect. I wouldn't want a normal birthday dinner because then it wouldn't be a Weasley birthday." He said, causing Molly to laugh through tear-stained eyes. "I thought it was all perfect."

"Really?" Molly asked, wiping the tears away again.

"Really." Arthur answered, kissing her forehead. "Now, come on. I need you to show me what is the purpose of this rubber ducky."


	29. A Burning Sensation

"Please mum," Bill said, as he followed Molly from the kitchen to the living room as he had been doing for the past hour. "Please, I'll do all the de-gnoming in the garden. Just please?" He pleaded.

Molly couldn't help but feel guilt rising inside of her. Whoever this pen friend was that Bill had started writing during his fourth year at Hogwarts, that being the only thing he could talk about as Charlie did nothing but talk about how, thanks to him, the Gryffindor team had finally won the Quidditch Cup. She couldn't help but smile for her sons until Bill had mentioned how much it was going to cost for him to go on the exchange trip, nearly costing all of the Weasley's savings. It broke Molly's heart, the thought of her oldest son not being able to go and see a boy that he talked to and about more than anyone else.

Charlie looked up from the piece of parchment that he was using to write a letter to Tonks, who had told him repeatedly to call her that and no Nymphadora. It made no sense to Charlie that she would ask such a thing except, perhaps, for the same reason that he asked to be called Charlie instead of Charles and that Bill was Bill instead of William. It just rolled off the tongue better and was faster and easier to say, he assumed in his own mind. He stopped writing to her about how he couldn't wait to go to Hogsmeade next year, and how close they were to getting caught having gone to the Forbidden Forest the year before, only to listen to what Molly told Bill, hoping maybe his older brother and best friend would actually get to go meet a friend that was as close to him as Tonks was to Charlie.

"Please mum," Bill begged, his blue eyes pleading with his mother as she turned around with a laundry basket full of dirty clothes in her hands, nearly running into Bill.

"I'm sorry Bill," Molly answered, "but with both of you in school, it is completely out of the question. I have school books to buy for next year," She said as the dry August air blew through the open house, "And we still have Ginny AND Percy's birthdays to think about. Perhaps your friend could come here." She offered, "There is still a month left before school starts and it's not like the two of you wouldn't have anything to do. He's from where?" She asked, moving around her son to continue the housework. "Belize? Bolivia?"

"Brazil mum." Bill answered with a sigh, "And it's not the same. I always get to see the Burrow. I want to go out and see other things, like Egypt and Asia. I want to explore the world. Brazil is just the first step." He said, following her from the living room back into the kitchen, carefully stepping over the wizard's chess game that Percy and Ronniekins were playing on the floor, Ronniekin's face bent in concentration as Percy leaned back comfortably.

"I'm sorry Bill," Molly tells him as she took the clothes basket and set it down turning around to face him. Her eyes shown sincerity as she honestly wished she truly could help her son. Quietly, she pulled him to the side so that the other children couldn't hear any longer what they were discussing. "We simply don't have the money. Your father has been working overtime just to cover the cost of your books and Charlie's and Ginny is in need of new dresses. Perhaps next year but this year, it's simply out of the question."

Bill, being the oldest and therefore the most understanding, he knew that his parents had to focus on the basics before they could give any of them anything more and at this point, the basics was the most they could manage. Softly he nodded his head, sacrificing what he wanted for the others.

"It's okay mum," He answers, "I will just write him and tell him that I can't come see him. Get Ginny some new dresses instead. In fact," He said, thinking about it. "Don't worry about getting me new robes either. Mine will fit for another year. Charlie could use a new pair of robes for school more than I could."

Molly looked at her son, proud of his self-sacrificing although she knew he was lying about Charlie needing the robes more. Charlie was short and stocky and, according to Molly's predictions, probably wouldn't need new robes for at least two more years. Bill, on the other hand, was still going through puberty, his voice still cracking occasionally and the growth spurts appeared to be never-ending. He was getting taller and leaner by the day. Molly made a mental note to herself that Bill would not only need robes but most likely new slacks as well, seeing as how his were now getting a bit too short and Molly could nearly see his ankles.

"Write him," She answers before wrapping her arms around her son, hugging him close. "If he is a true friend, he will understand." She said as Bill nodded his head, walking back into the kitchen and sitting next to Charlie who was finishing up his letter to Tonks and starting to write one to Hagrid, and started on his own letter.

Meanwhile Ginny sat outside, once again watching George and Fred fly around on their broomsticks, only wishing that she too knew what it felt like to have the wind blowing through her hair as she, in the mind of a four-year-old, soared through the clouds amongst the birds and the dragons. She wanted to know what it was like to hear the birds singing right in her ear as they cheered her on, wishing her luck as she won the Kiddish Cup as Charlie had, landing on the ground as her family lifted her up high and cheered for the only girl in the family.

Finally the twins swooned back down from where they were playing, both looking at Ginny with devilish grins.

"Pweese let me fwy?" She begged, looking at both of her brothers.

"Nope," Fred answered.

"Absolutely not." George replied.

"But we will have you do something else," Fred said with a smile.

"Something helpful." George said with a devilish smirk.

"What? Anyting!" Ginny said, her eyes pleading as she hoped that if she helped them, maybe they would allow her to fly with them.

"Mum is making soup tonight." Fred said with a smile.

"Vegetable soup." George answered, smirking at their own idea.

"Otay?" Ginny asked in confusion, unsure of what they were getting at.

"We want you to distract Percy again." Fred tells their little sister.

"We are going to put something extra in his soup." George says with a smile.

"Something for extra flavor." Fred laughs.

"Will he wike it?" Ginny asked, hoping it would be something Percy would enjoy.

"You could say that." Fred answers.

"Will you help us?" George asks.

"Otay, but onwy dis once." Ginny says with a sigh of exasperation.

The twins smiled as they flew back up into the air, soaring around as little Ginny watched from below, only wishing that she could join them in their air-borne adventures. As the hours passed and Molly finally called the three children inside, Fred wrapped an arm around Ginny.

"Don't forget," He reminds her.

"Distract Percy," George adds in.

"I got it," Ginny answers, shrugging off Fred's arm. "I'z not a baby." She said before walking in before them, causing Fred and George to smirk with pride.

"Do you have them?" George asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They are in my pocket." Fred answers, "Melting away at the lining though. These are really hot."

George smiled deviously. As the twins walked into the Burrow, Ginny ran over and started talking a mile-a-minute to Percy, taking his mind off of dinner as he listened to the four-year-old chatter on about her day and complain that Fred and George wouldn't let her fly with them, which Molly and Arthur smiled at, both glad that for once the twins were listening.

Fred was very careful as his hand creeped out of his pocket, making sure he had plenty of juice from the hot peppers covered his hand as he grabbed a spoon, acting as if he were going to start eating.

"Absolutely not," Molly said, her hand on her hip as she pointed to the kitchen sink as Fred and George had expected. "Before you eat, both of you are washing your hands. You were outside."

"But mum," George started, staring down at the bowl next to Fred.

"No buts, wash your hands first." Molly insisted as Fred stood up, winking at George who tried to hide the smile on his face as both of them walked over to the sink, washing their hands, Fred making sure to scrub his to try and get the hot juices off of his palms. Turning back around, Fred looked at the table where everyone else was sitting as he tried to remember which of the spoons he had grabbed. He could only hope it was the one that Percy was now holding onto, scooping soup into his mouth as the duo sat down, eating their own soup.

About halfway through the meal, George couldn't help but get antsy. "Percy, you have something here," He said, pointing at his own cheek. Percy took his hand off of his spoon, wiping his face.

"Did I get it?" He asks as Fred and George both stared in shock. His face still wasn't burning. Why wasn't his face burning? Silently both nod their heads, their eyes wide as they did so in awe. "Thanks," He answered as Fred turned around and looked at George, who shrugged in uncertainty.

"Is the soup hot enough?" He asks Fred, who knew exactly what he meant.

"Yea," Fred answers back, "It burns my hands when I touch the bowl." He said, causing Molly to look at them oddly. She didn't think the soup was that hot. She had made sure to cool it off slightly before serving it.

As dinner came to an end, Charlie stood up and headed to the loo, only for an ear-piercing scream to be heard from the kitchen as Molly and Arthur both jumped up from their seats, running in to see Charlie. Fred and George's faces went white as they looked at the empty spot at the table where Charlie had been sitting next to Percy. They had been a seat off. Charlie had gotten the spoon instead of Percy, and now they both flinched in a sympathetic pain as to what part of Charlie was now burning as though it were on fire.

Molly ran back into the kitchen, not saying a single word as she grabbed a bag of frozen peas, running back out of the room as Charlie's screams of pain continued to fill the room, now followed by the sound of running water as the tub filled up.

"BUT MUM, IT BURNS! IT BURNS!" Charlie screamed out, filling the Burrow with his agonizing screams as it felt as though his lower extremities that, through embarassment as well as pain, Charlie could honestly say he never wanted to have to let Molly see again. Bill steered all the other children upstairs as Charlie continued to scream out. "MUM, IT BURNS! PEAS AREN'T GOING TO HELP! MUM! PLEASE JUST- MUM!" He yelled out in both pain and embarrassment.

The screams of excruciating pain continued for nearly a half-hour after that, followed by Charlie walking into the living room, his face bright red as Molly and Arthur followed, the burning having finally subsided. He didn't say anything, a bright red blush showing through his freckles as Charlie crept upstairs, Molly and Arthur still clueless as to what had caused the burning, only able to think that maybe he had been allergic to something he had touched when he went outside earlier to feed the pigs and chickens.

"What happened?" Bill asked with curiousity once Charlie got up to their room, him quickly changing as the blush refused to fade from his cheeks.

"Don't want to talk about it." Charlie answered firmly in embarrassment, climbing into bed as Bill shrugged, not mentioning it again.

**A/N: Just wanted to let everyone know, got this prank by the twins from a personal experience where we had dared one of my little brothers to touch a habenero, forgetting to wash his hands before going to the bathroom. Sounded like something the twins would do as well.**


	30. Bill's Betrayal

**A/N: Wanted to apologize to everyone for the delay in the posting of this chapter. Had a family emergency that sent me out of town for a few weeks. Will try to post more often. **

Percy was the first one to notice the owls as he quietly helped his mother with the dishes, his eyes wide at the familiar yellow envelopes in one of the owl's mouths. He knew those envelopes. Those were Hogwarts envelopes.

"Mother! Mother!" He hollered out, "The owls! Their here!" He yelled as he heard what sounded like a herd of elephants coming down the stairs, Bill turning the corner into the kitchen quickly, Charlie, Fred, and George following after him. Molly walked into the kitchen as Charlie tore open his own envelope, looking over the list of books.

"Mum, Bill has most of these." He says, disappointed that they weren't using a new Care of Magical Creatures book that he hadn't already read. With a sigh, he tosses down his own envelope as Molly picks it up.

"Charlie, there is a Hogsmeade permission slip in here." Molly said as Charlie shrugged, more disappointed that he wasn't going to be learning about any new animals than interested in going to Hogsmeade with Tonks, who had already written him explaining 'how many new things there will be in Hogsmeade. It's not breaking the rules if you simply bend them.' to which Charlie had answered that she sounded about like his twin little brothers when she said that.

Molly sighed, remembering how her own brothers had been around Charlie's age, unable to please. Nothing was brilliant or fantastic at his age, instead it was all just shrug-worthy. She knew better than to take offense to it as Bill reached over the table past his letter from Hogwarts to the package that the second owl, much smaller and darker in color, had brought. He recognized the owl immediately as that of his pen friend from Brazil. There was no letter with the package, which was odd from his pen friend, but nothing that Bill couldn't shrug off as he tore the box open, showing a brazillian outback hat, dark tan in color with a rugged look to the long bill that went all the way around the hat. Bill took no time in quickly putting the hat on.

"Mum, look at what he sent me. He isn't mad. He still wants to be friends knowing that-" Bill stopped, looking over at the twins who were snickering as Molly stared in shock at her oldest son.

"Bill!" She exclaimed as the eight-year-old twins burst out in laughter, unable to contain their hysteria. "Your ears!"

Bill quickly ran to the bathroom, only to notice that his ears were three times too small, almost minute compared to the rest of his head. "What happened?!" He exclaims, hurt that his friend would do such a thing as tears filled his eyes. "No, this must be a mistake." He said, staring into the mirror. He was supposed to be cool, was supposed to be the awesome one who everyone loved at Hogwarts and now, because he had tiny ears, he was going to be the laughing stock of the school. "He didn't...he didn't mean it." Bill says as Molly walks into the bathroom behind him, wrapping her arms around her oldest son, pulling him close.

"It's okay," She whispers, feeling pain for her son after his first betrayal. "Sometimes kids are just cruel." She says, patting down Bill's long red hair as he fought back the choke in his throat, pushing the tears to the back of his eyes as he reminded himself that he wasn't supposed to cry while the twins laughed in the background. Molly turned, giving the duo a death glare as they hurried up and ran outside, laughing like a couple of hyenas. "A real friend would be understanding," She whispers softly to him. "If he pulled a cruel prank like this, he wasn't a real friend." She said, pulling Bill closer.

Bill nodded as a single tear fell down his cheek, showing he was finally letting go as another holler came from the kitchen.

"BILL! IT'S OKAY! YOU'RE A PREFECT!" Percy yells out from the kitchen as Bill buried his head deeper into his mother's bosom, letting the tears fall.

"SHUT UP PERCY!" Both Molly and Bill yelled, Bill's holler choked by the pain of his first betrayal. Molly held him close, feeling nothing but sympathy for her oldest son. She wanted to cry for him, to let know that she felt just as bad as he did, only hers was for him.

"You know," Charlie whispered softly, looking over at Percy as he didn't want to get yelled at himself to shut up. Percy looked up at his brother, listening intently but keeping his own mouth shut so that he didn't face his mother's wrath once more. "It does work out though," He said softly, "I can't be upset about using the same book as Bill did because this year, I get to take Care of Magical Creatures." He said with a smile. "I get to learn about dragons and unicorns and flobberworms." He said in a hushed excitement. "Professor Kettelburn gets to teach ME. ME. And I hear he is a brilliant professor. Last year, he got put on probation eleven times, ELEVEN, for being too 'dangerous' with magical creatures." Charlie informed Percy, who listened quietly, "Now, he only has one arm and half a leg, but that's what makes it so interesting. Magical creatures aren't always nice."

Percy shook his head, not understanding why Charlie would be so willing to be missing half his limbs in order to work around animals that were at least twenty times more dangerous that the pigs and chickens they had there at the house. Perhaps he would take a different class instead when he got choices. "What are your options?" Percy asked, looking at his big brother, "For classes I mean?"

"Well," Charlie answers, "You get to pick two classes you want to take as electives. All the others are mandatory." He said matter-of-factly, as older brothers often do. "You get to pick from a list though and it's really hard to choose, especially when you want to take more than two. I took Care of Magical Creatures of course, but then I had to pick a second one. None of the others had to do with animals, which made it difficult, but there is Divination, Arithmancy, which you know Bill had to pick, Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies, which I took thinking dad would find it interesting." He said with a smile. "I knew I would have an advantage at least, with dad knowing all the different things about muggles already."

Percy nodded his head. "I want to work for the Ministry when I grow up." He finally confessed for the first time, knowing Charlie wouldn't judge him for it. Charlie never judged anyone. "Be the Minister of Magic. Muggle Studies would help with that." He said firmly.

"You have a lot of time to decide." Charlie answers honestly, "Don't worry yet about what you will take. It will all fall into place." He said with a smile, causing Percy to nod his head in understanding.

Later on that evening, after dinner and once everyone was in their pajamas, Percy and Charlie laid across the living room floor, playing wizards chess while Fred and George played Exploding Snaps in another corner of the room, Ginny would laugh whenever the cards would magically explode in one of the twin's faces, nearly falling over in a giggling fit, her red hair bouncing with her laughter. Arthur sat in his usual chair in front of the fireplace, listening to laughter of his children with a smile as he read the Daily Prophet and Molly and Bill sat in the kitchen, helping Ronniekins with his reading.

"-waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the tre- treace- treacer-"

"Treacherous," Molly corrected patiently, looking over Ronniekin's shoulder as he sighed with frustration.

"Treacherous waters. They were ha- hafe- hafe-"

"Halfway," Molly corrected again softly into Ronniekin's ear as the five-year-old pushed The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the same book that his older brothers had all learned how to read from, forward in frustration, slamming it shut.

"I can't do it mum." He said in defeat, "Okay, I'm not as smart as Bill and Charlie and Percy. I'm not as smart as George and Fred. I can't do it!" He said, storming off from the table upset with tears in his eyes as he ran up the stairs. Minutes later, Molly heard the slam of an upstairs door, the loud bang muffled by the four floors between the kitchen and Ronniekin's small, orange colored room, already decorated with his favorite Quidditch Team, the Chudley Cannons.

Ronniekins couldn't quite place the reason he liked the Chudley Cannons so much. Maybe it was the fact that Arthur was always mentioning them whenever Charlie would ask about the sports section of the Daily Prophet. Maybe it was the fact that they were the first team name he had ever really gotten to know. Or, perhaps it was the fact that, much like Ronniekins in his own eyes, they weren't the best at anything really. They just filled in the blanks on the scoreboard as another team, like he saw himself as just another kid.

Molly sighed, knowing her son could in fact read but having no idea what she could do to help him. "Any suggestions?" She asked Bill softly.

"Only one," The teenage boy answered, having been thinking about how to convince his youngest brother to read all summer. "What if it's what he's reading?" He asked, "It don't interest him."

Molly shook her head softly, "We have tried every story in The Tales of Beedle the Bard. He grew up on these stories the same as you other boys did. He loved them."

"But they don't interest him." Bill answers, "When does Charlie ever pick up that book anymore mum?" He asked, proving a point.

Molly nodded her head in understanding. "Ronniekins wouldn't be interested in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them though." She answered, "We can't even get him to de-gnome the garden. Why would he want to read about gnomes?"

Bill shook his head before sighing. "Mum, you asked me at dinner what I wanted for becoming a prefect?" He asked, looking at his mother with a serious face.

Molly nodded her head again, still proud of her son for becoming a prefect. "I did," She answers. "Have you decided what you would like?"

It was now Bill's turn to nod his head. "I want a book." He answered, remembering how Ronniekin's eyes had lit up as he watched Bill and Charlie playing Quidditch out in the paddock earlier that day after Bill's ears had gone back to normal, Bill taking his sorrow that had then turned to rage out on the make-shift Quaffle as Fred blocked the goals made out of trees. "The boys at school were talking about it. Charlie won't stop talking about it."

"A book?" Molly asked in confusion. "But...well, okay. What book Bill?" She asked confused.

"Quidditch Through the Ages," Bill answered firmly, starting to walk out of the room before turning around. "Oh and mum, one more thing." He said, turning around to face his mother once more.

"Of course," Molly answered, still confused by Bill's request. He never seemed like an book type of person before, always more concerned with money and math.

"Can I keep it here with Ronniekins?" He asked, causing Molly to smile with pride, nodding her head.

"Of course you can Bill." She whispered, walking up to him and brushing his long hair back, kissing his forehead lovingly as they walked back into the living room together.


	31. Ronniekins to Ron

As the school year passed on, the weather slowly changing from fall to winter and then to spring, Molly watched her children, each growing up in their own ways.

Percy, nearly facing his eleventh birthday in two months, already had everything he could have ready for school and sitting up in his room. His trunk was packed with Charlie's old robes, as Bill's were once Arthur's and were now nearly grey with age instead of the black they were supposed to be. Also held in the hand-me-down trunk that had 'WEASLEY' marked boldly on the side and was nearly missing it's right handle, was a package of rat food for Scabbers, the pet rat Bill had offered for Percy to take to school the following year, saying that he wouldn't be able to take care of Scabbers and handle his N.E.W.T. classes.

The twins made it a regular habit to do harass Percy about his over-preperation, calling him 'Prepper Percy,' on the rare chance that he came downstairs, which anymore was simply to eat and go to the bathroom, going back upstairs to read 'Hogwarts: A History' silently in his room as he sat on his bed with his feet propped up on his packed trunk. When Fred and George weren't picking on Percy, they spent most of their time in the Paddock, playing Quidditch while Ginny sat back watching, anticipating the moment she could feel the wind blow through her hair like that.

And then there was Ronniekins...

"The position of the Keeper has certainly existed since the thirteenth century, though the role has changed since then." Ronniekins read with ease at the kitchen table while Molly worked on the dishes, smiling to herself. No, she still couldn't get him to pick up any other book. Ronniekins still refused to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard. He still wouldn't pick up Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them or Perfect Pranks for Practical Pranksters but Molly couldn't complain. She finally had him reading something.

"Mum?" Ronniekins finally asked, looking up from the book with curiousity. "Can I ask you something?"

Molly, turning around as she dried off her hands, walked over to the table, sitting down next to her youngest son. "Anything Ronniekins, what is it?" She asks softly with concern by his seriousness.

"Can...can I not be called Ronniekins anymore?" He asked bashfully, only seven years old and being at the age where it wasn't cool anymore to have childhood nicknames or hear your mother say that she loves you.

"Oh...of...of course Ronnie- Ron." She said, correcting herself with tears in her eyes at the thought of ickle Ronniekins growing up in front of her eyes. This was something that, as a mother, she knew there was no preparing herself for. It hurt every time. From the moment that Bill outgrew his crib to the time that Charlie said he didn't need tucked in anymore. It broke her heart whenever Percy started calling her Mother instead of mum, when the twins gained their independence, no longer needing her to stay by their side as they played outside. It killed her whenever Ginny finally got potty trained, running into the livingroom with a wide smile and her pants still off as she told Molly and Arthur she used the big girl potty all by herself and now, here she was with her heart breaking once more as her baby, her youngest son, the one that she had to admit, she probably 'mother-henned' as Arthur put it, the most, was asking her to let him grow up. "That...that is fine." She whispers, hiding the tears in her eyes.

"Thank you mum," He answers, hugging Molly tightly before running out the back door to play with the others, leaving Quidditch Through the Ages sitting there on the table, still wide open to the page he had been reading.

Molly allowed herself a few tears as she picked up the book, placing it back on the shelf before going back to the dirty dishes left over from lunch, looking out the window.

"Ronniekins." Ginny said, running up to her brother as he clenched at the word.

"I talked to mum." Ron answered, "She said that I can be called Ron now." He informed Ginny as the twins flew down on their brooms, listening intently. "I have outgrown Ronniekins, it's Ron now." He said firmly as Fred and George smirked to each other.

"Okay Ronniekins." Fred said with a mischevious grin.

"You will always be Ronniekins to us." George answered with a laugh.

"Ickle Ronniekins." They said in unison, causing Ron to cringe.

"Ignore them," Ginny answered, taking her brother's hand as she snarled back at Fred and George. "They are cruel. I like Ron. It's older. It's more manly."

Ron nodded his head, appreciative of his sister. She may have been younger than him, but the twins seemed to not pick on her as much as they did Ron.

"Will you play house with me?" She asked Ron once they got past hearing distance of the twins, not wanting to embarass him and risk him saying no.

"Come on Ginny," He groaned. "Do I have to?"

"I did just stick up for you." Ginny answers, letting go of his hand as she put her hands on her hips, glaring at her brother.

"Okay, fine." Ron mumbled, following Ginny into her room where she held her plastic dolly, her tea set and her wooden table that Arthur had made for her the summer before. Ginny quickly ran over, grabbing her dolly and putting it up in Ron's face. "Kiss daddy good-bye. He has to go to work now baby." She said with a smile as Ron knew what was coming.

"NO! No! Absolutely not!" He huffs. "You tell the baby that daddy is going to work and then what happens? I get shoved in the closet forever while you play tea party with the baby. Then, I get home from work, you make me change her empty diaper and send me back to work."

"Not in front of the baby RONALD!" Ginny yelled back, holding her dolly close to her chest as she nurtured the plastic doll.

"Fine," Ron huffed in defeat, knowing he was fighting a losing battle as he kissed the doll's bald head and went into the dark closet to wait, once more, for Ginny to tell the dolly that daddy was coming home. Instead, he heard the familiar voices of the twins.

"Ginny," Fred said with a smile. "We figured something out."

"We can make your dolly cry." George answered, "With magic."

"NO!" Ginny answered as Ron heard her jumping up and down. "Give me my dolly now!" She demanded as she continued to jump for it.

"No, watch." Fred said with a grin as George held Ginny back.

"She's only going to cry." George laughed.

"GIVE ME MY DOLLY!" Ginny yelled out as the George let her go and Fred handed the dolly over to him by one arm. "Don't hold her like that!"

"She's not crying," Fred said with a smile.

"Yet." George answered as little Ginny turned red with fury, her face matching her hair.

"GIVE ME MY DOLLY!" She yelled again, stomping her foot with her fists balled as the glass window behind her shattered and the twins dropped the dolly in shock.

Molly, hearing the glass break from the other room, ran in as Ron came out of the closet in fear that someone had gotten hurt.

"What's going on?" She asked fearfully, "What happened?"

"They tried to take my dolly." Ginny said, pointing furiously at the twins who were still staring at the little girl in shock, the dolly between their feet. Molly suddenly nodded in understanding, walking over and picking Ginny and her dolly up and carrying them into the living room.

Ginny wasn't the first wizarding child to show their magic before they came of age. In fact, it happened more often than not. Just a few years prior, Arthur had come home from work saying that the Longbottom child, the one who had been left with his grandmother after his parents, Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom, had been tortured, was dropped off of a third story window only to bounce off the cement to safety. Whenever Ron was younger, they had horrible times with the kitchen being filled with snow when he cried, and now little Ginny was exposing her wizarding abilities.

"Am I normal mummy?" The little girl asked as Molly sat her down in the living room, brushing her long red hair straight down her back.

"Of course Ginny." Molly answers, "This happens to wizarding children." She said in comfort. "You just have to learn to control your emotions. We can't have bad things happening every time you get upset. Okay?" Softly Ginny nodded her head in understanding as Molly hugged her. "This just proves that one day, you too will go to Hogwarts like Bill and Charlie." She said with a smile as Ginny smiled too.

"I can't wait mummy." She said as an owl softly tapped on the window. "Mummy! Mummy! It's Charlie and Bill!" She exclaimed, standing up as she ran over to the window. Molly nodded, expecting a letter from Charlie as she opened the letter and Ginny called the others down.

Fred, George, Percy, and Ron all ran down the stairs, gathering around the table as Molly read the letter out loud.

_Mum,_

_Bill wanted me to tell you that he tested for his O.W.L's. He said that the tests didn't seem that hard, Potions was the hardest and he said that was only because of Professor Snape's insanely difficult tests. He wanted me to tell you that he knows he passed Arithmancy and that Transfiguration seemed easy enough to be a pass._

_Make sure the others know that I won the Quidditch Game yesterday._ (Suddenly the room filled with cheers.) _Tonks isn't happy about it but that's because Hufflepuff won second place on the Quidditch Cup. That's right mum, we won the House Cup. Isn't that brilliant? We are so excited. Have to go, the rest of the team is wanting to celebrate. Can't wait to be home._

_Love,_

_Charlie Weasley._


	32. Ginny's Getaway

Molly slowly led her children through the streets of Diagon Alley, trying to hide the look of concern on her face as she looked down into her coin purse at the last two galleons she held. Sighing heavily with concern, she led her children on to Ollivander's Wand Shop, prepared to purchase Percy's wand.

"Stay out here," She said with a firm voice to the other children as Percy held the door to the tiny, overcrowded shop holding numerous small boxes along the walls. Bill nodded his head in understanding, keeping a close eye on the twins, Ginny, and Ron as he sat down on the curb leading out to the cobblestone street.

"What do you think he'll get?" Charlie asked with curiosity as Bill shrugged and a stern faced man in fine black robes walked past with a young boy following behind him. The young boy, no older, Bill would guess by looking at him, than Ron or Ginny, stopped and stared. The young boy's white hair was slicked back properly as he snarled his nose at the red-headed children sitting next to the street.

"What are you doing down there?" The young boy asked with a distasteful look on his face as though he had seen them digging through trash.

"DRACO!" The stern-faced man hollered, turning around to quickly face his son, his own hair matching the boy's in color, longer than even Bill's. Grabbing his son by the arm, he snarled his nose in disgust. "Don't talk to that filth." He hissed quickly as Bill stood up, ready to stand up and defend his family while Ginny looked down ashamed and George pulled her close in comfort. "Don't you see what they are?" He growled, looking into Bill's eyes, the eyes of a sixteen year old boy staring back at him, daring him to say something bad as Lucius looked down at him with distaste. "Hand-me-down robes, red hair." He said, looking Bill over. "What's your name boy?"

"Weasley," Bill answered coldly, his own lips tightened in fury. "Bill Weasley."

"See Draco," The man said, squeezing on his son's shoulder tighter. "Blood traitors. Weasleys." He said as the young boy nodded his head. As quickly as the man had walked past them, he turned, not letting go of his son's shoulder as he continued walking down the cobblestone streets towards Knockturn Alley.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked, standing up next to Bill and softly putting his hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

Bill shook his head, trying to shake the fury from his mind. "Nothing," He answered, sitting down next to Ron as Fred and George comforted their little sister softly, George holding her while Fred softly rubbed Ginny's back. "They aren't worth it." He answered. "We need to be proud to be Weasleys. All of us." He said, looking down the line at his other siblings. "I don't care what anyone says, money isn't everything. We have each other, got it?" He said firmly as the others nodded their heads softly in understanding. "Don't let anyone tell you any different." He said as Percy came out, holding up his new wand with pride as Molly sighed, putting away her coin purse once more.

"Now," She said, thinking about where to take him next for his supplies. "Bill, you still need books?" She asked as Bill nodded his head, not wanting to concern her with the encounter they had just with the other family.

"Obscures Books it is then." She said with a smile, leading the children down the road to a small shop on the end. "Fred, George, you two can go down to Gambol and Japes but I expect you both to be on your best behavior." She said with concern that they wouldn't be as she turned around, seeing that Charlie was staring on at the Owl Emporium. "Go on," She said, pushing him forward gently. "Ten minutes, then you meet us back here. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." All three of the boys answered, ready for their freedom to roam the shops on their own. Quickly the three of them ran off, leaving Molly with only Ron, Ginny, Percy, and Bill. Ginny and Ron were both still too young to be roaming Diagon Alley on their own just yet, and Molly knew from personal experience that Percy would much rather be in a bookstore than anywhere else.

As Molly led the children into the book store, she saw Percy's attention go over to a corner of the shop where a young boy about his age was obviously shopping for school books, his hands overwhelmed as his mother looked through the shelves. The boy was built, even for a young eleven year old boy. His hair was brown and cut short and Percy couldn't help but notice as he opened one of the schoolbooks, quickly reading through it as he turned from page to page with the other four books resting beneath it.

"Go talk to him," Molly said, pushing Percy forward. "Maybe you can make a new friend. We will be over at the counter." She said, smiling that maybe the transition would be as easy for him as it had been for Charlie, who was still good friends with the first student he had met on his trip to Hogwarts.

Percy nodded silently, edging closer to the boy as Molly led Ron, Ginny, and Bill over to the counter, discussing with the shopkeep what books Bill would need for his upcoming year as he started on his N.E.W.T classes.

Trying not to look odd or out-of-place, Percy slowly walked up to the boy. "Hey," He said softly, almost bashfully. "What...umm...what are you reading?" He asked, looking over the edge of the book.

"Quidditch Through the Ages," The boy answered, putting down the books to hold out his hand. "Oliver Wood, know anything about the game?" He asked with a smile.

"Percy Weasley," Percy answered, "My brothers play it. I never got into it. More focused on my academics of course." He said, holding his head high. "I'm going to be the Minister of Magic."

Oliver laughed, "Sounds like a plan to me." He said with a smile, thankful to find someone as determined as he was to move forward. "When I go to Hogwarts, I am going to be Quidditch Captain." He said with pride. "And we are going to win every year. I have been keeping articulate statistics on the Houses at Hogwarts and my best chances would be if I was placed in Gryffindor." He said with determination. "They have a really good seeker."

"Yea," Percy answers, "Charlie Weasley. That's my brother." He said with a proud smile.

"Charlie Weasley is your brother?" Oliver asked, his mouth dropping open. "He is amazing. The way he spins and the eye he has for the snitch. Brilliant, bloody brilliant." He said with excitement as Percy blushed.

"Yea," Percy answered awkwardly. "I'm going to be a Gryffindor too." He answered, "There isn't any doubt. My parents were Gryffindors and both my brothers were. I will be. Only other place I could see being sorted is-"

"Ravenclaw." Oliver answered with a smile as Percy nodded his head.

"Exactly," He answered, "I am going to be a Prefect and then when I am a seventh year, I'm going to be Head Boy."

"A lot of dedication to get there." Oliver answered, looking at Percy.

"A lot of dedication to be Quidditch Captain." Percy answered with a smile.

"Touch'e." Oliver laughed, wrapping his arm around Percy. "Not bad Weasley. Not bad."

Percy smiled as he walked away from his new-found friend back over to where Molly stood with Bill. He had finally found a friend who understood, someone who thought like he did with the need for determination and drive. He had finally found someone who understood why he spent all his time reading and practicing magic. He couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you for sending me over there mother." He said, holding his head high. "That boy's name was Oliver. Oliver Wood, and we are going to be Gryffindors together." He said, thankful to finally have an understanding friend.

The day came to an end hours later as the sun set on the Burrow and Molly sent the boys, Percy and Bill who had been studying at the kitchen table, Charlie who had been playing outside, and the twins, who were once again plotting something suspiciously in their room, to bed. As she gave Ginny her bath and laid her down in her bed as well to be tucked in, Molly softly kissed her daughter's head before whispering 'Nox' and leaving the room.

Ginny laid there silently in her bed for a few moments, listening to the familiar sounds of the Weasley nightly routine as Arthur returned home, kissing Molly softly on the cheek before they discussed, in the living room which was right outside of Ginny's pink bedroom, their day and checked on the kids one last time before going to bed themselves. Ginny turned her back to the wall as she listened for the familiar sounds of her father's snores before slowly crawling out of bed in her nightgown and tossing on her trainers.

She was careful not to make a sound, knowing she would be in dire trouble if she did, as Ginny slowly opened her bedroom door, the soft creak that it made from needing it's hinges oiled sounding like it was echoing through the darkened (and now appearing to be deserted house). Silently she walked past the Wizard's Chess board that had been played earlier that night by Percy and Ron (another failed game on Ron's part), careful not to step on it and cause anymore noise before walking through the kitchen where books still scattered the kitchen table. Ginny smiled to herself, ready to face this next great adventure that she had only dreamed of before this as she softly turned the doorknob in the kitchen, opening the door just a crack and slipping out.

Ginny couldn't help but feel the urge to run down to the broom shed once she was out of the Burrow, a smile on her face as she repeatedly looked behind her, making sure that Molly wasn't standing in the doorway, catching her in such a devious act. As she reached the small shed, it's size no bigger than an old outhouse, and felt the chipped paint on the wood of the door, Ginny's heart jumped for joy. She had done it. Here she was. Ginny Weasley was going to fly a broom.

Ginny sighed in relief at the thought that her older brothers were careless enough the day before to leave the broom shed unlocked as she opened the door, peering in at the brooms hanging up on the wall. Quickly she grabbed one and pulled it out into the yard. Her hands shook with excitement, with adrenaline, as she climbed on top of the broom and held on tightly to the wooden handle, the texture of the wood feeling better than anything she had ever imagined as Ginny kicked her feet off the ground as she had seen her brothers do so often in the past.

Slowly Ginny soared into the air, being careful as she had learnt the errors her brothers had made from watching them. The wind blew through her long red hair as Ginny flew higher and higher, suddenly realizing what she had been missing all this time. Tricks weren't Ginny's thing, not yet anyway, as she listened to the owls calmly hoot in the background, cheering her on as she flew one direction only to turn around and fly back towards the shed. Her heart rose high into her chest as she laughed out at the thought. She was flying. She was finally doing it. She was flying.

She imagined the look on her brothers' faces whenever she was the one trying out for the Quidditch team.

"You can't fly," Ron would tell her as she climbed on a broom, a sly smile on her face.

"You are going to get yourself killed." Percy would answer before she kicked off the ground, surprising all of them as the crowd roared and the Quidditch Captain begged her to be on the team.

Ginny's smile covered her face as she pictured it in her own mind, slowly heading back to the ground before putting the broom away carefully and sneaking back towards the Burrow to return to her bed before it became too late and her sleepiness in the morning became suspicious to Molly. _I did it, _Ginny thinks to herself as she crawls back into her bed. _I finally did it._


	33. Ron's Birthday Surprise

Laughter filled the Weasley home as Molly pulled Ron's seventh birthday cake out of the oven, the sweet smell of homemade carrot cake filling the Burrow as Fred and George giggled in a corner, laughing to each other about something they were keeping rather secretive. Ginny and Ron laughed as Arthur took turns lifting each one into the air, spinning them around before setting them back on the ground, the room spinning as they fought to keep their balance and stay on their feet before begging for him to do it again.

The home felt empty this year as Molly wrote both Charlie and Bill, wishing them a happy birthday with care packages of sweets. Percy's eleventh birthday had been only a week and a half before his first trip to Hogwarts and now, as Molly only had four of her seven kids in the house for Ron's birthday, she tried to keep her spirits high and not let the other four see how much she missed not having her oldest boys at home.

As Molly iced the cake with her homemade cream cheese icing, Arthur snuck away from Ginny and Ron and silently walked into the bedroom, pulling out the birthday present Ron had received from his grandpa, an old wizard's chess board, and the gift Molly and Arthur had bought for him, using all of the savings they had set aside for the past six months just for the birthday present they knew their son had been wishing for.

Bill was the one who had written Molly, telling her how Ron had stood outside of Broomstix for nearly an hour, staring at the Shooting Star in the window the entire time Molly did her shopping for the boys supplies. Molly knew as Bill explained Ron's enthusiasm that was what he deserved for his birthday and instantly started setting aside the extra sickles Arthur had at the end of his paycheck.

"Kids, it's time for the cake," Molly called out as Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George ran in and Ron sat down in front of the cake, his eyes already wide with anticipation as Molly lit the seven candles.

"Daddy, hurry!" Ginny yelled, standing up in her chair as she leaned over the table, getting close to the cake.

"Okay, where's the birthday boy?" Arthur said, coming in with a smile as he placed both presents on the table before walking over to Ron, putting his hands on his son's boney shoulders. "There he is. The big seven this year." He said, squeezing softly on Ron's shoulders as Molly smiled.

"Do it Ronniekins." Fred said, waiting for the candles to be blown out.

"Hurry," George answered, watching them with anticipation.

"Make a wish first." Molly said, smiling as she waited.

Quickly Ron squeezed his eyes closed as hard as he could, thinking of a good wish. _I want...I want...I want to...no, not that one. I think I want...No, I know! I wish I could beat Percy at a game of wizards chess, _he thought to himself before blowing out the candles.

The others watched as Ron blew hard and the candles flew out of the cake, flying above their heads and bursting into multi-colored fireworks that lit up in the shape of a giant seven.

"That's my favorite part of birthdays." Ginny said, smiling wide as she looked up, watching the seven slowly disappear until she couldn't tell if she could still see above them or if it was only in her mind where she had seen it before.

"What about the presents?" George asked, looking at her with a laugh.

"All the new toys." Fred answered happily.

"The CAKE!" Ron said, staring down at his carrot cake. "Mum, can I have a large piece? Please. It's my birthday?!" He said, unable to hide his anticipation any longer as Molly started to cut into the cake, placing a small piece on each of the kids' plates that sat in front of them.

"Okay," Molly answered, "But I do not want to hear you complaining of a stomach ache later, Ronald Billius." She said firmly as she cut his piece a little bit larger and Ron started to dig into it, forgetting about his fork as he picked up the piece with his hand, shoving a large mouthful into his mouth and chewing happily.

"I 'on't." He said, exposing the food in his mouth as Ginny snarled her nose in disgust at her brother.

"That's gross." She said, looking back down at her own plate before pushing it away, losing her appetite. "No one is going to want to sit with you at Hogwarts if you eat like that." She said matter-of-factly.

"'hut up 'inny!" Ron said back as Molly looked from one of the kids to the other.

"Okay, that's enough." She said firmly. "Both of you, behave."

The kids finished eating their cakes, Ron having three more pieces of cake before Arthur steers his attention elsewhere.

"Don't forget, we still have presents." He said, holding up two wrapped gifts for Ron. "This one is from Grandpappy Weasley." He said, holding up a regular shaped box as the others stood around in awe.

"Open it Ron." Ginny said with anticipation.

"Shake it." George said.

"Rattle it." Fred answered.

"Okay, okay." Ron laughed, tearing away at the paper as his eyes lit up.

"What is it?" The twins asked in unison, looking over Ron's shoulders trying to see what he saw.

"My own Wizard's Chess." Ron said with excitement. "I got my own Wizard's Chess board and pieces! Now I can practice. I can beat Percy!" He said with excitement. "I can win!"

"What's this one?" Ginny asked, holding up the odd-shaped still-wrapped gift, uninterested in the Wizard's Chess as Ron stared at the box.

"Wow, but how?" He asked, knowing his Grandpappy Weasley was just as short on money as they were.

Molly and Arthur looked at each other as Arthur sighed. "It was his Ron." Arthur answered, "He gave you his game of Wizard's Chess."

Ron nodded his head. "It's okay, I love it." He said, hugging the board tightly before moving to the next gift and tearing at the paper. "No, no, no." He said in shock, "I'm dreaming..."

"What is it?" Ginny asked, leaning over the table.

"We'll pinch you!" The twins answered with excitement, eager to pinch their younger brother.

"Who got me this?" Ron asked, looking from Molly to Arthur before looking back down at the package, immediately recognizing the wood carvings and straw at the end of the broom.

"That's from us," Molly answered, smiling with pride in the look of amazement on her son's face.

"But...but...this is a Shooting Star." Ron said as Ginny's mouth dropped open in shock.

"A WHAT?!" Fred and George ask, tearing the rest of the wrapping paper off of it.

"Merlin, it is." George said, staring at the broom on the table as though it were going to disapparate at any moment.

"Can I touch it?" Ginny asked, her own eyes wide with amazement.

Fred, George, and Ron all three exchanged a look, a smile waving across their faces as they all three thought the same thought. They had to try it.

"Let's do it." Fred said as Ron grabbed the broom and ran out the door with the twins, who quickly ran over to the broom shed, grabbing their own brooms as the three boys quickly flew into the air and Ginny went running after them, watching them fly through the air.

"Can I join?" She asked hopefully.

"No!" They all three said.

"Why not?" Ginny asked, pouting out her lip as tears filled her eyes.

"Because I don't want to get yelled at on my birthday." Ron laughed as he flew through the air.

Ginny looked down with tears in her eyes as she sat down on a tree root, silently allowing the tears to fall as she felt her throat tightening up. Normally, now would be when Percy would distract her, asking her to read with him or helping her as she practiced her schoolwork but now, he was at Hogwarts too. This is when Bill would tell the others to be nice to her, getting off of his own broom so that she didn't feel so left out, but he too was at Hogwarts, or Charlie would start feeding the pigs, knowing that Ginny would follow him around. Instead, she was alone this time. Percy was gone. Bill was gone. Charlie was gone. Fred, George, and Ron were too busy doing their own thing and for the first time being the youngest in a house of seven kids, Ginny was alone. She only wished she could talk to someone, anyone, who would understand how she felt.

That night as Molly prepared the kids for bed, giving first Ginny and then Ron a bath, Ginny didn't speak to any of her brothers. While they took turns playing rounds of Wizard's Chess with Ron's new chessboard, Ginny sat in her room instead, silently working on her studies to herself and dreaming about what Hogwarts would be like. She wondered if she would make new friends there, or if she would still just be the youngest Weasley. She thought of what it would be like to have a best friend like Charlie did with Tonks and Bill, or to have someone know her well enough to read her mind like Fred and George. Would she ever have a friend that she could tell everything to?

Fred leaned over, whispering into Ron's ear as Molly cleaned up the kitchen, washing the cake pan from his birthday dinner. "Come upstairs, we have a gift for you." Fred whispered softly.

Ron nodded his head, looking into the kitchen and seeing Molly's back still turned to them before following the twins up to their bedroom.

"Here it is," George said with a mischievous smile, holding out a green lollipop. Ron's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Really? Really? You guys got me candy?" Ron asked, looking from one to the other with joy. He couldn't believe it. Never before had one of his siblings gotten him a gift for his birthday. "Thank you, that...this is great guys. Thanks." He said with a smile, tearing the wrapper off of the pop as Fred looked at George and George looked back, both of them smiling with an evil gleam.

"Go ahead." Fred said with a smile, trying to hide his snicker.

Ron nodded his head, sticking the pop in his mouth as he sucked hard on it, suddenly tasting the sweet yet bitter acidity of lemon in his mouth. "This is really good." He said with a smile. "Thanks gu-" He stopped, unable to finish his words as a burning that would only resemble molten lava filled his mouth, causing not only his tongue, but his gums, teeth, and cheeks to hurt. As he pulled the lollipop out of his mouth, it was already too late as a scream left his mouth, causing the twins to laugh as Molly ran up the stairs.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Molly asked with fear as tears streamed down Ron's cheeks, pain overwhelming him as the skin melted away on his tongue, leaving only the sensitive under-tissue to feel the flaming burn.

"My ton- my ton-" He said, pointing at his pain-filled tongue as the acid ate away at the young child's tongue, leaving a small hole about the size of his fingertip straight through the center of his muscle.

"Absolutely not!" Molly said, looking down at the lollipop before looking back up at the twins, grabbing both of them by the ear before either one could blink. As the twins tried to pull away from Molly's grasp, small yet firm, they felt a horrible pain on the side of their head. "Fred Gibbeon! George Fabian! I have had enough of you two picking on him!" She said as she stormed out of the Burrow, still having a firm grasp on each of the boys' ears while Ron ran to Arthur, crying as he climbed into his lap, his tongue still burning immensely.

"All you ever do is pick on Ron and I have finally had enough of it!" Molly yells, storming across the yard as the twins feared what Molly had in store for a punishment. This was obviously too severe a crime to be punished by de-gnoming the garden. They looked at each other in fear as Molly opened the broom shed, Ron, Ginny, and Arthur now standing in the doorway at the Burrow watching silently.

"Now," She said, grabbing her own broom before taking Fred by the arm, quickly landing the handle of the broom on his hind end as he jumped in pain, screaming out at the lingering pain that rested on his buttocks before spanking him one more time with the broom handle, causing him to scream again, this time bringing tears to his eyes as he held his buttocks in pain while she did the same to George with two solid strikes.

The twins looked down, holding their heads down in shame as they walked towards the Burrow with shame before Molly's voice stopped them. "And WHERE EXACTLY do you think the two of you are going?!" She barked in a tone that made even Arthur jump.

"To bed..." They say in unison, their voices low and their eyes averted.

"NO! You boys are coming with ME! YOU did this to Ron, YOU get to go to St. Mungo's." She said firmly, grabbing the boys once more by the ears as she guided them firmly towards the fireplace. That night, Ginny didn't risk sneaking out to the broom shed once more.


	34. Sir Weasley

The summer of '87 was another hot, muggy summer as Fred and George degnomed the garden for their latest escapade of using mashed potatoes instead of ice cream for a sundae for Charlie, a celebration gift after he got his letter from Hogwarts announcing that he was now a prefect. Arthur had been the one to see the look of disgust on Charlie's face before he ran into the bathroom to throw up his chocolate and cherry covered mashed potatoes, granting the twins degnoming for a week when Arthur, chuckling as he did so, told Molly the news the night before in bed. Molly didn't find the story nearly as amusing.

Ginny and Molly sat at the kitchen table, Molly guiding the six year old as she read The Tales of Beedle the Bard, stumbling her way through the longer words but picking up on all of it rather easily as Molly helped her along.

Charlie, Percy, and Ron sat in the living room, taking turns playing Wizard's Chess, while Bill sat in the shed with Arthur, looking through a brochure Arthur had brought home for a job that would be coming available for Gringott's Bank. It was a Curse Breaker job, a job where the witch or wizard had to use counter-curses in order to get into anchient tombs and get gold for Gringott's. It wasn't exactly what Bill wanted to do, but he was looking forward to traveling the world, and this at least got him out of Europe.

"Are you sure this is the right job for me?" Bill asked, looking at the pamphlet once more. "I mean, the pay is good and I get to travel but..."

"There is only one way to find out," Arthur answers, "You never know until you try it. Do something you love." He said, picking up a screwdriver and unscrewing the side of a toaster. "These muggles, I swear they are genius." He said, "Did you know they toast bread in a matter of a minute with this contraption, amazing they are."

"That's great dad," Bill answered, "Look at this, requirements to be a curse-breaker. An O.W.L in Arithmancy, N.E.W.T's in Defense Against Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and Anchient Runes." He read off. "I am taking the majority of those classes anyway." He said in thought. "Do you think it's exciting?"

"Most definatly," Arthur answered, "An old jinx or hex backfires, the results could be deadly. Wouldn't be any different than what I do for a living though, dealing with hexed muggle items is pretty risky too. Just the other day, found a light sogget that spits out water. According to the muggles, that don't work too well with their energy. Had to be very careful removing that one." He said, pulling off the metal side of the toaster.

"I think I'm going to take it." Bill said, tilting his head as he read on. "Adventure, discovery, travel. Sounds like just the job I want." He said with a smile, tearing out the application in the back of pamphlet. He still had a year left at Hogwarts, but would be turning of age in November and wanted to make sure, as Bill often did, that everything was in order long before he graduated. Walking out of the shed, Bill headed back into the Burrow, going up to his room to work on the application. He didn't hear, as he walked through the living room, the conversation taking place around him.

"Pawn to D-3." Ron said, focusing hard on the board. He had just, for the first time, beat Charlie at Wizard's Chess, making it his turn once more to face Percy and despite his want, he had little faith of winning the game.

"Knight to D-3" Percy answered with a smile as the horse rose up, stomping down on Ron's pawn, crushing it to smitherines. Ron cursed to himself, focusing hard on the chess board.

"Bishop to F-2" He said in concentration, his face now matching his hair in a bright crimson color as he held his breath, waiting for his brother's move.

"Rook to D-4" Percy said, leaning back with satisfaction. "And that's check."

Ron looked at the board, begging for a move that could either block his king or take out Percy's rook, coming up short on options before he sighed. "Fine, bloody hell." He cursed under his breath. "King to E-3"

"Mother, Ron said a bad word..." Percy called out before making his move. "King to E-4. Checkmate."

Ron grabbed the corner of the board before his King could surrender to Percy's Rook, flipping it over. "Can't you just let me be the first at anything!?" He yelled with tears in his eyes, storming up the stairs as Molly finally picked her head up from helping Ginny learn how to read, looking into the living room as she saw her youngest son storming up the stairs in fury.

Bill heard through him and Charlie's open door as Ron stormed up past the doorway to go up to his own bedroom, seeing the tears of fury on Ron's face.

"Ron," He said with concern for his brother. "Come here mate, talk to me."

Ron walked into the room, tears still falling freely down his eyes as he thought of how Bill was Head Boy, Charlie was now going to be Quidditch Captain and Percy would probably wind up being another prefect. Never would Ron's name stand out in the family, being the first to accomplish anything. He was born to late. "What?" He mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Sit down," Bill said, moving the pile of papers from his bed for Ron to sit on. "What happened?"

"Percy beat me again at Wizard's Chess," Ron mumbled. "I just want to be the first to do something, anything really. You are Head Boy. Charlie is bloody brilliant at Quidditch. Percy is too smart for his own good. Fred and George aren't super smart, but they keep mum on her toes with their pranks and Ginny's a girl. Where does that leave me? In the end, I am still just Ron." He said with a sigh, knowing Bill wouldn't judge him for anything that he told him, instead keeping it just between the two boys and accepting Ron for his views.

"You aren't just Ron." Bill answers, "You are special in your own way. Come here," He said, patting the now-empty spot on his bed as Ron came over, sitting on the bed next to his older brother. "First off, you eat like a grown man." He said, causing Ron to laugh through the tears. "Percy beat you at wizard's chess?" He asked, formulating a way to explain it to Ron so that he would understand it.

"Yea," Ron mumbled softly, looking down.

"Think about life as a chessboard." Bill explained. "I mean, we are all pawns in life but look at the chessboard. Everyone wants to be the queen. Why? That's the hero of the game. But what about the knight?"

"The knight?" Ron asked in confusion, suddenly perking up at what Bill had said.

"Yea, the knight. Without him, there wouldn't be a game." Bill explained, wrapping his arm around his little brother. "Ron, you don't have to be the most noticed to still be brilliant." He said, seeing the wheels turning in Ron's head at the words.

Hours later, Ron felt better as he played another game of Wizard's Chess against Percy at the kitchen table. The game went on for over an hour as Percy would sit back after each move, drawing Ron deeper and deeper into the trap that would end with the familiar term 'checkmate'. Ron instead focused on each move, knowing one wrong placement would end in defeat. Silently the two moved their pawns, never once saying a word as Ginny slowly moved over, sitting down next to Percy and watching with intensity.

Twenty minutes later, the twins came in laughing with Charlie, who had gotten over the mashed potato sundae, from playing Quidditch down in the paddock. Noticing the deathly silence, Fred and George stood behind Ron as they watched his rook crush Percy's pawn with ease. Charlie sat down on the counter, watching as well with a wonder of what was going to happen.

As Arthur came home to a deathly silent house, the first emotion to sweep over him was concern until Molly ran up to him at the door, hugging her husband tightly. As Arthur hugged her back, his face held a look of questioning.

"In there," Molly whispers, "Never seen them all get so focused on a game of Wizard's Chess." She answered.

"Let's go see what the commotion is about." Arthur answered, leading the way as him and Molly stood behind Percy, watching intently as well.

Words were not spoken by anyone as moves were made and pieces were eliminated, making the black and white chessboard more and more cleared off. It wasn't until Bill came downstairs from filling out his application at Gringott's that the first word at the table was spoken.

"What's going on?" Bill asked as he walked up to his entire family surrounded at the table.

"Shhhh!" The twins said in unison, demanding silence as they watched on.

Bill shrugged, sitting down next to Ron. "How is my knight of a brother?" He asked, reminding Ron of their conversation.

For a split second, Ron was no longer competing against Percy. Instead, he was standing there holding the Quidditch Cup, wearing the Head Boy badge, and looking more handsome than ever as his entire family cheered him on. For a second, in his own mind, Ron was no longer just 'too young' or 'too small' Ron Weasley, he was Ron Weasley, A Knight.

"Bishop to D-2, checkmate." Ron said firmly, before staring at the board._ Did those words really just come out of his mouth_, he wondered. _Did I really just beat Percy? Perfect Percy? And I just won against him? _He couldn't help but question what was going on as Percy's King bowed down to his own white bishop and the twins cheered, patting Ron's back. "Did I...Did I..."

"Congratulations baby brother." Bill said, patting Ron on the back. "You have become a knight." He said with a laugh as Ginny giggled, running up to the counter, grabbing a wooden spoon.

Softly she tapped Ron's left shoulder and then his right. "I now pronounce you Knight Ron." She giggles. "You have defeated Percy at Wizard's Chess." She said with a laugh as Percy held out his hand, shaking Ron's.

"Good game." He said with a smile. "You did great."

For that moment, that split second, Ron smiled with pride, knowing he may never be the first Quidditch Captain or Head Boy. He knew he would never be the family prankster or be the only daughter or future Minister of Magic, but for now, Ron was a Weasley who was a first. He was the first to beat Percy at Wizard's Chess.


	35. An Empty Nest

**A/N: Since yesterday was Father's Day in America, and I grew up myself being one of seven (I was definitely the Charlie by age but Ron by personality) I had to think back to what I did when I was younger with there being so many of us children. This chapter was inspired by those thoughts. **

Arthur could sense the tension building around Molly as the first of September grew closer and closer and could easily tell that the children saw it as well as causing everyone to tread carefully around the woman as if she were an active volcano, able to explode at any moment. He couldn't help but feel like it was his duty, as the man of the house, to give Molly her space, planning a special trip on August 31st as he woke the boys before the sun had even rose into the sky, going into Ron's room last.

"Ron..." He whispered softly, shaking the eight year old awake. "Ron, wake up."

"Mmmmm but mum...I did it last time..." The child groaned out, rolling his back away from Arthur who laughed at the words.

"Ron, wake up. We're going somewhere." He said, shaking his son again as Ron's eyes fluttered open.

"Where?" He asked with a yawn, rubbing his eyes.

"Come on," Arthur said, walking out of the door. "Get dressed, hurry." He said.

Ron realized where they were going as he walked out of the Burrow into the front yard, seeing Charlie, Bill, and the twins standing outside with fishing poles and smiles, Charlie's smile being the widest.

"Where's Percy?" Ron asks in confusion.

"In his room." Fred answered, rolling his eyes.

"Studying." George adds in.

"He's not coming." Fred completes as Ron nods his head in understanding. He imagined Percy upstairs explaining the founding of Hogwarts to the pet rat that he always kept close, Scabbers.

"Okay, come along boys. Let's go. The fish won't jump up on the shore themselves." He said, walking out towards the wooded area where they knew a small creek sat behind.

The five boys followed, nothing but the early morning birds chirping as they were surrounded by the misty morning air. They didn't get but maybe fifty meters from the Burrow before a soft voice followed behind.

"Wait up." The voice called out, as the boys turning around to see seven-year-old Ginny running towards them still wearing her flowered nightgown with a fishing pole in hand. "I want to come!"

The twins sighed, rolling their eyes as Ron snarled his nose. "No Ginny," Ron said with a groan, "You're a girl. Girls don't go fishing."

"They do too!" Ginny whines back. "I want to go! Please daddy?" She begged, looking up at Arthur with pleading eyes, her red hair still tangled from the night of sleep before. "I want to catch a big fish."

"Let's take her dad." Bill says, placing his hand on Ginny's shoulder as she nodded her head, looking up at Arthur with hope.

"Okay," Arthur answered with a smile. "But we need to get going. If we don't, we will miss out on the first casts of the morning. Come on kids." He said, guiding the way as the twins groaned behind him, Ron following beside them as Charlie led the group walking beside Arthur.

"Thank you Bill," Ginny said softly with a smile from the rear of the group, only getting what she could have mistaken as a wink in return, sending giggles through her. She knew she was going to miss Bill once he was finished with school and went off to work with the Bank. Sure, there was an age gap between the two of them but Bill was nothing like the rest of her brothers. He stood up for her when none of the others would. He listened. Bill made her feel more special than Ron, Charlie, Percy, or the twins. He listened to her.

As the family walked through the tree path, the sun rising to turn the sky into a burnt orange. Ginny hugged herself, protecting her bare arms from the dew filled morning air as they made their way down to the lake, showing the most beautiful sight the young girl had ever seen as the mist rolled in over the darkened water, the only light being the sunlight shining through the dense fog. She stared in awe, amazed that anything in nature could hold a look that she had only seen in books as the boys all cast their reels in.

Staring down at her own fishing pole, Ginny looked at it in confusion. "Here, like this." Charlie explained to her, reaching around on either side of his sister's arms as he showed her how to hold the pole. "Then, you throw it like this." He said, whipping her wand over from the girl's right side and she watched in amazement as the little red and white "bobber" as her father called it fell into the water gracefully, Charlie reeling it in slightly until the line was tense. "Now you wait," He told her. "When the bobber goes under, reel it in as fast as you can." He explained before moving back over to his own pole.

At first, Ginny couldn't withhold her excitement, a wide smile covering her face as she stood happily, waiting for the tiny red and white ball to disappear beneath the water's surface. She waited for it to disappear, moving with the gentle waves of the lake as first Ron, then George, followed by Fred each reeled in their own fish. Sighing, Ginny sat down knowing her turn would be next as she sat down on the wet grass and watched intently.

Pulling his pole back, Arthur was next to pull a fish to shore. A few hours later, Bill doing the same thing as Ginny sighed heavily, laying her head in her hand out of boredom. Nearly falling asleep, she was jerked awake as she felt a firm tug on her pole causing her to stand up and reel the lure in just as Charlie had taught her.

"I have one! I have one!" Ginny yelled out, causing the boys to run over to try and help as her little hand moved quickly on the reel until it pulled tight. "Daddy, what do I do! What do I do!" She said as the line stopped, only moving side to side.

"Let me see it." Arthur answers, taking the pole from his young daughter as he reeled it in more. "This is a big fish Ginny. You couldn't reel it in on your own." He said, fighting with the fish.

"GET IT DADDY!" Ginny screamed, jumping up and down as the boys stared in awe. "CATCH MY FISH! CATCH HIM!"

Arthur fought with the fish, teasing it as he would stop reeling in, allowing the fish to swim out further before dragging it back, hook in mouth.

"What are you doing dad?" Bill asked with curiosity.

"Wearing it out." Arthur answered as sweat covered his brow. "It will put up less of a fight once we get it to shore this way." He said before finally reeling the fish in for good, it being the biggest one any of them had caught that morning as Ginny beamed with pride.

As the kids all walked back to the Burrow, each one having at least a half-dozen fish and Arthur being sure the kids had nearly wiped the lake clean of fish amongst the group of them, Arthur was the first one to walk into the Burrow.

Instead of their home being loud and full of Molly's random cleaning sprees, it was silent. Deathly silent. Concerned, Arthur quickly reached for his wand. "Kids, put the fish on the table and go to your rooms. Now." He said, uncomfortable with the silence as a shiver of fear ran down his spine. Silently, he walked into the laundry room, then the living room, and then the food pantry, not seeing Molly at all.

Opening the door slowly, he saw his wife laying on the bed, her face in the pillow as she sobbed heavily.

"Molly?" He asked with concern, walking over to the bed. "Molly-wobbles, what's wrong?"

"It...it was...so..so...quiet." She says, her voice broken up from the tears closing her throat. "One...one day they...they won't be here." She said, crying as she wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck, crying into his shoulder. "This...this year is Bill's last year at...at Hogwarts." She said, remembering back to when they had first moved into the Burrow, whenever Bill had been potty-trained and said his first word. She pictured the young boy of five with red, long hair jumping around the room as he talked about one day doing magic like daddy, one day marrying a woman like mummy. Crying harder, Molly pulled Arthur closer to herself as he softly stroked his wife's hair, feeling sympathy for her.

"Molly-wobbles, this is part of it. We knew this day would come when they would grow up." He said, forcing Molly to look up at him with her tear-filled eyes as he wiped away the damp tears from her cheeks. "We just have to let them go. Let them out on their own and hope we raised them right. Bill is a great kid, he will do well out there in the real world."

"But...but...he's my baby." Molly cried, looking down. "I can't just let him go, let Charlie go. And...and then...then..then Percy." She said, choked up as her chest heaved and she tried to breath.

"Shhhhh," Arthur hushed, pulling her close. "It'll be okay. This is part of being a parent Molly. We can't hold them close forever." He said, his own heart silently breaking at the thought. "All we have to do is know we did well and wait."

"What...what about it being so quiet?" Molly cried, the deep fear of no longer being needed deep in her mind.

"We wait," Arthur answers, "Once Ginny moves out, we wait for the laughter of the grandkids. I promise, the Burrow will never have a moment of silence."

"Love in it for...forever?" Molly asked, sniffing softly.

"Until the walls are bursting Molly-wobbles." Arthur answered, kissing his wife softly on the forehead.


	36. Brotherly Careers

Molly looked down at the three letters sitting in front of her at the kitchen table. The first, one from Percy, simply held a permission slip and a copy of his grades. It didn't have to include a letter, Molly knew what Percy was asking. None of his grades were less than satisfactory, as to be expected out of Percy, speaking for themselves in the question of whether or not she should sign the permission slip allowing him to go to Hogsmeade on the weekends. As Molly signed it, she moved on to the next letter from her next oldest son.

Charlie's letter entailed much more detail, explaining how him and Tonks, the friend he had kept all throughout his time at Hogwarts, were discussing career options. Nymphadora Tonks, one that Molly had noticed always seemed to find enough trouble not only for herself, but to get Charlie the occasional detention as well, was determined to become an Auror. It wasn't the typical career for someone of Nymphadora's family structure, Molly thought to herself, knowing the girl's mother had once come from the family of Blacks, being disowned the moment that she announced her marriage to a muggle, but she couldn't help but be proud for the girl. Charlie, on the other hand, still unsure about where he wanted to set off in his career field once he took his O.W.L's, could only state that he knew he didn't want an office job. 'Maybe something adventurous, outside. Meeting new animals,' was what he had written to his mother. Molly put down the letter as Arthur walked into the kitchen.

"How are they?" He asked, recognizing the light brown envelopes stamped with the Hogwarts emblem.

"Good," Molly answered, looking back down at the envelopes. "Percy sent in his permission slip." She said, debating on how she was going to mention Charlie's preference to Arthur.

"And the other boys?" Arthur asked, already knowing himself that Percy, the most well-behaved out of all of their children, would get his permission slip signed and returned back to him as soon as Molly got the chance.

"Charlie is looking into careers," Molly answered, "He is still unsure of what he wants to do. He says he wants to..."

"Work outside?" Arthur asks, already knowing the answer, "Working with animals?"

"Well, yea. How did you know?" Molly asked with curiosity.

"It's Charlie," Arthur answers as Ron walks in, grabs an apple and walks back out of the kitchen, eating it. "You learn your kids," He explains with a laugh, wondering how his youngest son could still be hungry, having just had three helpings of dinner before the owls came in. "Charlie wouldn't enjoy being inside all the time. The outdoors, that's what makes him happy. It's like asking Bill to stay in London and work. You know they wouldn't be happy." He said, sitting down across from his wife.

"What about Amos?" Molly said in thought. "Amos Diggory, what is it that he does?"

"He works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Arthur answers, "but I thought Charlie wanted to work outside?" He said in confusion.

"He does," Molly answered, "but maybe Amos can persuade him towards something. A job where he doesn't have to worry about...about..."

"About getting attacked by a troll?" Arthur answers in thought.

"A troll or...or a manticore." She answered, shivering at the thought of her son facing the lion that held a scorpion's tail. "Maybe have him work with fairies or gnomes. Something gentle, training hippogriffs perhaps."

Arthur nodded his head, understanding what Molly was referring to. "Nothing that he couldn't handle on his own, got it." Arthur answers with a loving smile for his wife. "I have this under control." He said before the twins ran down the stairs, trying to dart out of the kitchen door before Molly and Arthur could catch them.

"Colloportus." Molly said, pointing her wand at the door as it latched locked and the Fred ran into the door with a thump, George hitting Fred in the back as he did the same.

"What was that for?" George asked, rubbing his head.

"Yea mum, we were going outside to play." Fred answers, trying to sound innocent.

"Then what is in your pocket?" Molly asked, looking down at George's left pocket.

"Nothing," Fred answers, pulling out his own pockets. "See."

"Not yours," Molly answers, "George, what are in your pockets?" She asked, looking at the other twin.

"Mum, I'm Fred." George answered, hiding his smile. "I don't have anything."

"Accio," Molly said, pointing her wand at George's pocket as a stick shaped like a wishbone came flying out, a thin piece of leather between the two sticks. "A slingshot? And what did you expect to do with this?" She said, her hands on her hips.

"De...Degnome the garden." Fred lied quickly. "Honestly mum."

"No, you didn't George," Molly answered as Fred giggled, causing George to laugh out.

"And WHAT is so funny?" She asked even more firmly.

"We lied mum," George answers, "I am really George."

"George Fabian! Fred Giddeon! Get upstairs right this instant! Your room! Now!" She said in fury. "I can't believe the two of you!" She said as the two identical boys ran up to their room before having to face any more wrath.

"I can't believe it." Molly said, putting the slingshot down on the table. "Never any problems like this out of any of the others. Any of them." She vented as Arthur put his hand on hers in comfort. "I mean, look at the others. Bill is Head Boy, Charlie is a Prefect, Percy is headed that way and then...then I find a slingshot! A slingshot!" She says with a huff before walking out of the room and back into the living room.

"Mum," Ginny said softly, bringing up a piece of parchment. "Mum, I did the answers. Are they right?" She asked, a hopeful look on her face.

Molly looked over the paper, knowing Ginny was quick and willing to learn how her basics before she went to school. "Very good Ginny," She said with a smile as the bright-eyed girl ran back into her bedroom with excitement.

A few days later as Molly received another letter from Charlie, Arthur had a rude awakening whenever he came home to face the red-haired fury of a wife waiting at the door. "What did you DO?!" Molly screamed as Arthur opened the door, finding the house empty of the kids who had been avoiding their mother's wrath. "I told you to have Amos talk Charlie into something SAFE! Something SAFE!"

"He did talk to him." Arthur answers with a shiver, unsure of what he did wrong. "I did exactly as you asked."

"Yea, Amos TALKED TO HIM alright!" Molly yelled, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT CHARLIE WROTE ME?! DRAGONS! DRAGONS ARTHUR!" She vented heavily, her face now matching her hair in color. "Now where would Charlie get a genius idea like working with DRAGONS! Do you know how safe dragons are? THEIR NOT!" Molly exploded, hiding her tears of fury and concern for her son.

"Really?" Arthur asked with excitement. "Dragons, eh? Excellent choice."

"EXCELLENT?!" Molly screamed at the top of her lungs. "Tell me! What part of fire-breathing, oversize, wild DRAGONS sounds safe?!" She said in outrage. "He is going to get our son KILLED!"

"Our son is going to be fine." Arthur answered, "He isn't going to get himself killed. He knows what he's doing."

"OH! He knows what he's doing?!" Molly yelled, her hair now matching her face. "Tell me, how often has Charlie dealt with a fire-breathing dragon?! What does he know about a fire-breathing dragon?!" She asked with a mocking tone.

"Charlie knows plenty about dragons." Arthur finally answered, "As much as there is to know. We can't protect them all the time. Bill is going to go to Egypt. Charlie is going to find adventure. We can't control them." He said, knowing that wasn't what Molly wanted to hear.

"Can't protect them?! Can't protect them?!" Molly said in fury before turning around in frustration. Her mother had taught her two things about relationships before her and Arthur got married. The first had been to never say anything you may regret. The second was to never go to bed angry with your spouse.

Molly tried to keep to what her mother had taught her, always walking away from the argument before she said something she didn't mean to Arthur. She tried not to go to bed still mad at him, knowing that each of their days together may be their last. It was something she was raised to do, something that kept their relationship alive and yet that night, as she lay next to Arthur in bed, she found both of those tasks very difficult to do as she sighed heavily, wrapping her arm around her husband.

"I love you," Arthur whispered into the darkness, the first words spoken by either of them to one another since the argument.

"I love you too." Molly answers sincerely, laying her head against her husband's bare back.

"I don't want it to seem like I don't care..." He said softly before Molly interrupted.

"No, you're right. I'm overprotective of them. I'm just...I'm not ready for them to grow up." She answers with a sniffle, finally comforted by her husband's warmth as Arthur rolled over and kissed his wife softly before hearing a knock on the door.

"Mum...dad..." A soft voice whispered from the other side of the door. "I...I had a nightmare."

Molly sighed as Arthur laughed, both knowing they wouldn't be able to make up to each other or talk through their problems.

"Come in," Molly said with a laugh as eight-year-old Ron opened the door, still clutching his teddy bear. Molly couldn't help but shake her head, knowing at eight that Ron should be able to comfort himself after a bad dream but she couldn't help it. Her heart ached for a young child to hold as she thought of Bill moving out, of Charlie working with dragons. "Climb up here, you can sleep between me and your father." She said, wrapping her arm around the young boy.

As Ron fell asleep, his muttering of spiders and pleas to not have to play dolls with Ginny, Molly looked over at her husband. "He still needs me now." She said, pulling the boy in the Chudley Cannon pajamas closer to her own body. "Let me keep them innocent for now."

Arthur nodded his head, never wanting to deny Molly the loving compassion that he had fallen in love with, her care for everything, for everyone. Arthur couldn't help but look at her and see the beauty of her undying love, her ability to help even the worst of people, because in the bottom of her heart, Arthur knew she wouldn't allow herself to be cold-hearted.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Arthur answered, kissing his wife's temple before drifting off to sleep.


	37. Bill's Graduation

"Come along," Molly said as she walked alongside Arthur, guiding Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny through the over-extensive crowds of people surrounding the Great Hall, an extension charm having been used to accomodate the large crowd.

"Look mum," Ginny said with glee, pointing ahead as Molly licked her thumb and wiped some of the remaining soot from the young girl's cheek. "There's Percy! And Charlie! They're wearing their robes. I can't believe it." She said with joy, pointing at where the Gryffindors sat while Ron and the twins looked up at the ceiling in awe, seeing the star-filled sky.

"Yes," Molly answered, guiding them to a set of empty chairs as Arthur sat down in the first of the empty seats. "Not one wrong move out of you two," She said, glaring from Fred to George as she straightened her own floral dress and Arthur sat up straight, taking Molly's hand.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly, concerned with his wife's behavior that had led up to Bill's graduation.

Molly softly nodded her head, staring forward as everyone became deathly quiet and the chior, led by a shortened professor who Molly recognized as her old Charms Professor, started to sing out a beautiful tone, using rock-like toads to croak the bass and the graduating class, in nothing less than their best dress robes, entered the Great Hall between the two sections of seats.

"Mum! Mum! There's Bill!" Ginny exclaimed, standing up with excitement as her and Ron tried to wave at the Gryffindor who stood in perfect alignment with the others, the only thing giving away that he was their brother being his dashing blue eyes, his pale white skin, and the long red hair that he had pulled back just for the special occasion.

Molly watched, smiling with pride as tears filled her eyes watching her oldest son walk forward, holding his head high. Her eyes followed her oldest son, ignoring the fact that his youngest two siblings were waving fiercely as he stood in perfect alignment with the others, sitting down as a man with long white hair stood at the podium.

"Who is that dad?" Fred asked with curiousity.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," Arthur answered, staring straight ahead. "He is the one who runs the school."

"He'll know us well then." George snickered in a whisper, nudging Fred softly as Molly gave the twins a death glare.

"There is a time for speech-making," Dumbledore started as everyone listened intently, "for closing your eyes as you listen to the rambling of an old man and unfortunatly, I fear this is the time. There is yet to be a student who has come and gone here at Hogwarts whose name I don't remember, whose face I don't see everytime a new student puts on the sorting hat. Every year as I stand here and give this speech, I think back to my first set of graduates who I told this speech to in 1956, having no idea the speech I would be giving to such young, learning minds as I told them to go out, explore the world that they actually would. Never did I imagine that the students I had once watched put on the sorting hat, wear not only their robes but their House Colors for the first time, would one day become leaders. That they would become mothers and fathers, healers and professors. Go out young leaders, for here you are no longer students. Go forth and become the Aurors, the writers, and the beast handlers you dream of becoming. After all, there is little that can stop the determined mind of a young adult that you have now become. With determination, brains, and a little bit of magic, I want you all to remember," Dumbledore stopped as he pointed his wand above the crowd, dropping a single silver medal which was engraved with the House Animal of each graduating student into their laps before continuing on. "anything is possible."

Clapping filled the room as the man named Dumbledore cleared his throat and the room grew quiet once more. "Now, that we have that out of the way," He continued. "For the graduates. For those who don't know, we announce the names according to which house has earned the most house points. Ravenclaw first with four hundred and thirteen points, Joseph Hilliard...Janette Desford..."

Molly and Arthur sat silently as they listened to the names being read off, each student standing up and walking across the stage with clapping and cheers as the entire Ravenclaw house graduated, followed by the Slytherin house, until finally they reached the Gryffindor house.

"William Weasley." Dumbledore called out as the Ginny and Ron stood up on their chairs, cheering proudly, Molly cheered, Arthur let out a whistle and the twins reached into their pockets, pulling out two fireworks, setting them off.

"NOW!" They whispered in unison, setting the fireworks off in the Great Hall, causing a large colorful explosion that Bill couldn't help but smile at as he walked across the stage, shaking Professor McGonagall's hand and taking his diploma.

"Fred! George!" Molly barked, her face turning bright red with embarassment, nearly matching her hair in color as she grabbed both boys by the arm. "How many of those did you have? Empty your pockets! Right this minute!" She yelled as Bill sat back down, a girl beside him softly nudging him.

"What was that about?" The graduate next to him asked, still amazed by the colors that the twins had filled the room with.

"Those are my brothers," Bill answered, feeling an odd sense of pride in their rebeliousness. He knew the meaning of the twins doing that, showing that they were supportive of their older brother's accomplishment. "They do everything with a bang." He said with a snicker as other students continued to have their names called, as they walked across the stage, taking their diplomas and Bill noticed, although not saying anything, that none of the other students had such a large cheer after their name was called. He knew it was a Weasley thing, one that no one else would understand, as he held the smile of pride on his face for the rest of the evening until everyone was dismissed to return to their families.

As Bill headed back to where he had seen the fireworks immerge from, he was thrown off guard by Molly's tight embrace. "We are SO proud of you Bill. Graduating, can you believe it?" She asked, pulling away as she cupped Bill's cheeks, kissing his forehead with force, tears in her eyes. "You did it Bill! Congratulations! Your father and I are so proud." She said, taking a step back as Arthur stepped forward, shaking Bill's hand.

Taking his father's hand, Bill stared into the man's eyes. The man who had once changed his diapers and calmed him when he was upset, shaking his hand now as an equal, Bill couldn't explain the joy overwhelming him.

"Congratulations son," Arthur said with a proud smile as Ginny and Ron ran up to their older brother.

"Bill! Bill! We saw it all! We saw you walk across the stage!" Ginny exclaimed, a wide smile covering her face as Ron nodded his head fiercely.

"We did Bill! You did brilliant!" He piped in, the same wide smile covering his own face. "Even the twins were impressed."

"Speaking of the twins," Bill said, finally getting the chance to look around, "Where are they?"

"Mum took them into the bathroom," Ginny giggled as Fred and George walked up, both holding their bums. "They got in trouble. Mum said it was very foolish of them."

"Thanks you guys," Bill said, hugging first Fred, then George. "It was the best graduation gift a brother could ask for." He said with pride as the twins both forced an identical smirk.

"We made them ourselves," Fred said in a hushed whisper.

"Figured the red and gold colors would make it all the better," George added in.

"But it's nice to know our service is appreciated." Fred said with a laugh.

"Very nice." George continued as Percy and Charlie, both still in their robes, stepped up as well.

Percy held out his hand, shaking Bill's hand with a smile as Bill got ready to do the same with Charlie, only to be pulled into a tight hug from Charlie.

"I'm proud of you," Charlie whispered into Bill's ear as he hugged his brother.

"Thanks mate, that means a lot." Bill answered, feeling as though the compliment from Charlie was the best one he had recieved. Charlie had been the one who was there with him throughout everything, as far back as Bill could remember. He was not only Bill's little brother, but also his best friend. "I'm going to miss you." He said honestly, thinking back to all the nights they had shared staying up late, talking about their desires to travel, to see the world. Now it was all over, Bill thought to himself, they were done. Instead of waiting up in the upper bedroom of the Burrow dreaming of traveling, of seeing different creatures and foreign lands, now Bill was going to be doing it.

"You say that like we won't talk," Charlie answered with a laugh, "You think you can lose me that easily? I'm like a chizpurfle."

"You're a parasite?" Bill asked with a teasing laugh, "I could see that."

"I meant," Charlie started, turning red at the joke. "That once I get attached, it's going to be a little bit harder than just leaving to get rid of me." He said with a chuckle. "Now what are you going to do?"

"I have to go board the boats," Bill answered, "They are going to take us back across the river just like the first time that we came to Hogwarts."

"Brilliant," Charlie answered, "Come on, let's go." He said with a grin as Bill, Percy, and the others followed Bill and Charlie to the bottom of the lake.

"We will see you at the other side," Molly said with proud tears in her eyes as she hugged Bill softly.

"Thanks mum," Bill answered, hugging her back before climbing into the boat beside his classmates. Arthur wrapped his arm around Molly as Bill floated off into the distance, watching his family wave in a proud support.


End file.
